Why Integrated Marketing Communication Is the Cure
In this era’s parasocially connected Filipino market, brands often find themselves simultaneously obsessed with connection—and yet haunted by a silent enemy: siloed messaging.
What Is Siloed Messaging — And Why It Hurts
Siloed messaging happens when different parts of an organization communicate inconsistently or independently from each other. This is when your social media team, PR team, sales team, and brick‑and‑mortar store staff don’t exactly speak the same language.
The result? Mixed messages, confused customers, and (worst of all) lost opportunities.
Say you were advertising an Airbnb stay as a grand prize in a raffle. The Airbnb prize might be promoted as a “premium” service on Facebook. And “budget‑friendly” on Instagram. And an “inclusive all-night stay” in a press release.
They don’t sound like the same prize, or brand, now do they? So, how would anybody know that they are, in fact, marketing the same product?
In the Philippines, where consumers seamlessly hop between Facebook, TikTok, Lazada, Shopee, and physical stores in a single purchase journey, inconsistency is especially damaging. Without a cohesive message, brands lose trust and relevance.
The Obsession with Connection… That Backfires
But there’s the other side of the coin: forced connection. Or worse, connection without cohesiveness.
Brands push to be everywhere: they flood social media, emails, PR releases—even in‑store posters. But connection doesn’t mean presence—it means cohesiveness. When messaging falls out of sync, the obsession with “being connected” turns into noise, misleading your audience rather than guiding them.
The Solution? Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is the strategic glue that prevents silos from choking your brand’s message. It also makes sure that all forms of marketing in a campaign are cohesive as a unit.
IMC optimizes a consistent brand message across all channels—ad, PR, direct, mobile, social, sponsorships—so audiences perceive one brand, not many voices.
What Pitfalls IMC Prevents
Customer Journey Breakdown
Imagine anyone finding your brand via a TikTok ad, clicking to your Shopee store, then visiting your branch. Will they find the same brand or get lost?
If they get lost along the way, be it through having a hard time ordering or getting lost on the way to your store, your customer journey isn’t smooth. In the end, you lose potential customers.
If the branding and messaging on each platform don’t echo each other—say, “affordable luxury”—you won’t have any customers drop out. Journey mapping reveals these pitfalls, and a thorough IMC approach acts as the boat that helps customers navigate your brand, from viewing to buying to being loyal for years to come.
Trapped in Multichannel Silos
Some brands post promos via SMS, social media, and print—but each feels isolated. Or rather, each channel connecting to each other isn’t a priority. As long as the marketing’s out there, nothing else matters.
That’s multichannel: posting across multiple channels, but that’s it.
Still, Filipino shoppers often visit an average of 7–8 websites before purchasing. When those channels aren’t unified, consumer trust evaporates.
And that mistrust looks like a thought bubble written “is this legit?” all over it.
Teams or agencies that use the IMC approach almost always use an omnichannel method of marketing
IMC’s Strength Across a Filipino Audience
Filipinos are digital-savvy (with 97.5 million internet users, or 83.8% of the population) yet value personal touch–a mere extension of the cultural values of pakikisama (social harmony), more mindful spending habits, and above all, trust.
Trust is so valued amongst Filipinos, across any industry, that it’s considered a marketing currency (Inquirer Advertorials, 2025).
Make no mistake: the Philippines ranks third in screen time across the world. But even amid that and booming e‑commerce, 68% still prefer traditional, in‑person shopping–and it’s usually within young adults, and much older demographics. The preference stems from the question “What if maling order mapunta sakin?” (What if I get the wrong order?)
This duality makes IMC especially powerful in the Philippines: when messaging is consistent (across TikTok reels, Shopee descriptions, Facebook ads, and store windows) Filipinos respond with trust, engagement, and loyalty.
They’re also less likely to be confused.
Working with a PR + IMC Agency: Your Strategic Advantage
A PR and IMC agency—like NGP‑IMC—can help dismantle silos and weave consistent messages across all touchpoints:
- Strategic alignment: Ensuring every campaign (from influencer posts to in‑store signs and posters) sings the same tune.
- Journey mapping: Identifying where messaging breaks down and fixing gaps.
- Authentic influencer programs: Choosing creators, influencers, and catered UCGs who align with your values.
- Omnichannel execution: From digital PR to events to community posts, the messaging remains consistent and credible.
Our Own Case Study: Hope From Within
With our “Tell, Share, Connect” framework, NGP-IMC ensures purpose-driven storytelling that resonates across platforms. Here we have two case studies that highlight our drive for authentic connection.
A few years ago, we worked with healthcare company MSD for their Hope from Within Campaign. The campaign had three goals in mind: to advocate, to empower, and to educate the masses about cancer and innovative treatments against cancer.
The campaign involved an omnichannel, IMC approach across:
- Online forums
- Videos and press releases from ambassadors and influencers alike
- An improved Twitter and facebook page
- A micro-website
- Consistent visual materials across clinics, and
- A health projection model, called The Cancer Game Plan Report, that laid out the benefits of innovative cancer treatments
The campaign was nothing short of successful:
- An overall reach of 128 million people
- Reached 27 million people on Facebook,
- Reached 5 million people on Twitter, with 36,218 website sessions across the online forums we arranged.
- An earning of PHP 51 million in traditional PR media
- A total of 60,000 video views through our media partnerships
All while executing a fulfilling campaign with a strong advocacy for cancer patients.
Cure the Silence and Embrace Authentic, Seamless Connection
Siloed messaging is a silent killer that erodes a coherent branding then customer trust. But the obsession with connection can also backfire if the messaging isn’t unified.
But Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) restores harmony—especially among Filipino consumers navigating multiple channels. By breaking down silos and building integrated messaging that’s authentic, consistent, and strategically mapped, brands anywhere in the nation can create just the right amount of genuine engagement…online or offline.
And an agency equipped with an IMC approach equips you to deliver meaningful connection—without the clutter.
Want to spot your silos and connect better? Connect with us first! Our “Tell, Share, Connect” framework and our decades of experience ensures seamless IMC-centered campaigns that focus on bridging your brand with your customers.
Kriztin Cruz is a recruitment and digital marketing professional, freelance writer, hobbyist painter, and frustrated sociologist–with too many things to want and too little time to spare. She graduated with a Psychology degree in 2019 at De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde Antipolo. When she’s not drafting a corporate letter or working on anything digital marketing, you can find her doing the following, but not in this order: reading a good book, scavenging for a good book, sketching, painting, journaling, junk journaling, obsessing over an obscure Czechoslovakian surrealist film (or anything by Miyazaki or Del Toro), cooking, finding a cafe to relax in, and creating new things while a nice documentary plays in the background.