The link between business objectives and marketing strategy may seem obvious, but the two are often disconnected in real life. Profit-line managers may see marketing as a basket of distinct services — such as ads, trade show displays and public relations — from which to select to help them reach their sales goals.

While a manager may request a new trade show exhibit to generate sales leads, for example, a marketing strategy based on measurable business objectives and solid market research should come first, in order to design an exhibit that will communicate the right messages to the right markets.

Turn business goals into marketing results

According to the Forbes article, "4 Principles of Marketing Strategy in the Digital Age," the first principle in effective marketing is to "clarify business objectives."

"There's so much going on in the marketing arena today, everybody is struggling to keep up," writer Greg Satell states. "At the same time, every marketing professional feels pressure to be 'progressive' and actively integrate emerging media into their marketing program. However, the mark of a good marketing strategy is not how many gadgets and neologisms are crammed into it, but how effectively it achieves worthy goals."

He recommends that marketing goals capture "awareness, sales and advocacy (i.e., customer referral)."

Your marketing team needs to take that principle of focusing on business goals further by conducting an in-depth business review prior to starting any project, such as designing a new trade show exhibit. An initial business review covers subjects such as corporate strategy and goals, products and services, target markets, the sales process, brand image and marketing communications, the competitive environment, trade show experience and more.

While such an extensive review of a business may seem like overkill in terms of what is needed as background for an exhibit design, companies that have completed the process have seen significant results in the effectiveness of their marketing.

A small medical device manufacturer, for example, started with a request for a new trade show exhibit. After the business review — which included independent market research — the marketing challenge identified was to position this small business to compete with two global giants in the same field.

As a result of doing a business review, they were able to build a new brand image, with high-end graphic design in new ads, collateral materials, a revamped website and a new trade show booth that could rival their competitors and assist the sales force in capturing critical prospect data. Their product's proof was in its clinical trial studies, which they offered in a call to action, allowing them to gain attention and generate leads.

The company's brand repositioning was so effective that they were ultimately bought out by one of their competitors, which was a happy ending for all concerned.

Listen to your market

Although business managers often have a solid understanding of market needs, independent market research can help uncover both potential problems and opportunities. It is critical to listen to key constituents, including potential clients and current employees, to learn what they think about your brand and your products. The investment in market research can really pay off in measureable results when your business objectives call for expanding into new markets or launching new products.

Another example is a manufacturer that was planning to introduce a new product to a new target market of architects. Previously, their target had been contractors, so the switch to architects was significant, requiring building brand awareness from the ground up.

Focus-group research with their own sales force and current customer base and telephone research with architects revealed important issues that could have hindered the product rollout.

The marketing strategy addressed those issues by designing all marketing materials, including the new trade show display, to appeal to architects and facility managers. They identified key messages based on market perceptions and needs, keeping in touch with regular informative mailings, and developing an employee recognition program to boost morale.

Integrate all marketing efforts behind your business goals

Starting with a unified vision of marketing as a way to achieve business goals points out the importance of integrating marketing and branding across all platforms — from employee communications and engagement to marketing materials, social media, advertising, PR and trade shows.

According to marketing strategist Steve McKee, who wrote "Integrated Marketing: If You Knew It, You’d Do It," for Bloomberg Businessweek:

"Integration is not simply slapping a common tagline onto all your ads, using a single color palette or force-fitting a message that's suited for one medium into another (great television commercials rarely translate well to outdoor billboards, which in turn are very different from online banners).

"Integration means communicating a consistent identity from message to message, and medium to medium, and (more importantly) delivering consistently on that identity," McKee continued. "It requires not only the identification of a powerful, unifying strategy and compelling voice for your brand, but the discipline to roll it into every aspect of your organization — from advertising to sales, customer service to customer relationship management programs (and beyond)."

While most managers can grasp the benefits of integrated marketing, it can be hard to achieve, whether you run your own small business or are a division manager of an international corporation.

"It's not easy to integrate a brand into a wide suite of processes, materials and messages that have been shepherded by different people, driven by different objectives, and brought to life in different places within the organization," McKee wrote.

Companies of all sizes that take the time to develop an integrated marketing strategy can make a much bigger impact than the size of their marketing budget may imply. When all parts of a marketing strategy work together to achieve business goals, the results can be felt throughout the business. It all starts with a review of where your business stands today and where you want to grow tomorrow.