What is Holistic Marketing and Should Your Small Business Use It?

Holistic marketing refers to a marketing strategy that considers the whole of a business. And all the different marketing channels as a system. Under a this approach, a business with different departments comes together. As a result, departments collaborate in interconnected marketing activities.

Holistic marketing creates a united and positive business image. So it encourages customers to purchase a business’s products or services rather than going to a competitor.

Do you own a small business or are you thinking about starting one. Then this strategy can increase efficiency and provide opportunities for growth.

Take a look what holistic marketing is. And decide whether your small business should use it.

What is Holistic Marketing?

Holistic marketing considers a business and all its parts. It sees a business as one entirety. As a result, it gives a shared aim and purpose for each activity within a business. And to everyone related to it. It thinks about a business’s place in the wider society. For example where does a business fit into the broader economy. And how does it impact the lives of its customers.

Think of the human body that can only function when all parts are working together. In the same way, holistic marketing understands all the different parts of a business need to work together to operate at its optimum.

Consequently, this approach drives towards the alignment of your business’s processes, services, systems and customer touch points. This creates a consistent and seamless customer experience on multiple channels.

Principle Components of Holistic Marketing

There are four main components within a holistic marketing model, each of which plays an important role in bringing everything together for a business.

Internal Marketing

Internal marketing refers to the internal management of system, the marketing department and the collaboration between the marketing department and other departments.

Integrated Marketing

Integrated marketing involves the pricing strategy, product strategy, placing strategy, promotion strategy and communication strategy.

Performance Marketing

Performance marketing is focused on different business activities, such as how to sell a product, brand and customer equity, and the ethical and legal responsibilities a business and product upholds.

Relationship Marketing

Relationship marketing is centered on the relationship you have with your customers, employees, partners and competitors.

By considering these four different principle components, holistic marketing allows you to create a comprehensive business plan that covers the whole business system.

Examples of Holistic Marketing

Apple is one example of a company that successfully uses holistic marketing. Everything from how the products are developed with the customer in mind, to the stores being branded in a recognizable fashion, to the customer service being extremely quick, efficient and polite, Apple could be considered a master in using this strategy.

Heineken is another example of a brand that used this approach to successfully reinvent its image. Rather than focusing on the beer, Heineken centered its marketing efforts around four themes – engagement, exposure, interaction and relationships, including promoting its eco-friendly approach to brewing beer.

Small Businesses and Holistic Marketing

Taking a comprehensive, holistic approach to marketing that incorporates every aspect of a business and everyone in it, is all very well if you’re a globally-recognized brand with an endless marketing budget, but will this type of marketing work for your small business?

The good news is that this strategy needn’t be as expensive as you think and can offer great returns on investment.

Rather than solely focusing on one aspect of marketing for your business, such as giving a social media campaign a boost, holistic marketing considers everything, from improving customer service to rethinking your pricing strategy.

Re-evaluating the whole of your business doesn’t need to cost the earth and can bring back good returns on investment quickly.

Benefits of Holistic Marketing

Creates cohesiveness

Rather than presenting diverging and conflicting information in different areas of your brand, holistic marketing brings your brand effectively ‘under one roof,’ presenting greater consistency and cohesiveness for your customers, even if you’re a small business.

Garners Good Results

Holistic marketing makes a brand more consistent and cohesive across all aspects, marketing channels and messages. As a result, holistic marketing can help your small business get more out of its marketing efforts.

All businesses possess different features which must be assessed and evaluated. It doesn’t matter how big or small they are. So, businesses need a holistic marketing approach. Include the different systems, services, processes and customer touch points. The process can prove advantageous to small businesses as well as larger companies.

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This article, "What is Holistic Marketing and Should Your Small Business Use It?" was first published on Small Business Trends