Column 8 · Marketing Programs · Era 5, Assets and Accountability (2000s)
Mix Synergy
Implementation, content · Major · Cluster III, Organization and Programs
Description
Naik and Raman modeled synergy in integrated marketing communications, showing that the combined effect of advertising across media exceeds the sum of individual effects and that synergy changes the optimal budget allocation.
Managerial Implications
Marketing activities interact: advertising across media, or advertising with promotion, often produces more than the sum of the parts. When synergy exists, the optimal budget is larger and should be spread across activities rather than concentrated in the most efficient one. Measure interaction effects, not just individual returns, and coordinate campaigns across channels, because integrated programs outperform the same spend run as silos.