(light upbeat music) What exactly does it mean to integrate your marketing plan? In these lessons, we'll discuss the benefits of integration across all aspects of marketing. We'll also address how neuromarketing aids in market research, and how to identify a marketing ecosystem. An integrated marketing strategy is one in which the organization's marketing message is unified across the organization. Integrated means unified and organized in a way that a target market and all interested stakeholders understand that the message being delivered is original and unique to your organization. Think about your favorite brands. What helps you identify with them and want their products and services? It's not just the message. It's the product delivery and the product or services benefits and offerings. For example, sports teams seem to be one of the best organizations that understand how to bring out the most in their integrated marketing. Think about your favorite team. You want to buy their replica jerseys, t-shirts hats and everything they sell that carries their logo and image. Successful teams with long-standing traditions of success or recent championships also sell much of their merchandise, both immediately and over time. Consumers want to identify with the organization's success or show their affinity toward the organization's branding. Musicians and artists also depend heavily on brand image and an integrated message. That message can change with each album or single that's released, or stay grounded throughout the artist's career. Often, if a performer does not change their image and sound, they are abandoned by the general population, and eventually, their fans move on too. Change is good, and almost all major organizations must adapt to current times. People change their tastes and new generations emerge that demand new and different product and service adaptations. So upgrades and product development must remain focused on the future. Before we get too far into these discussions, let's cover some key terms. To begin, market research is key to the success of your plan. Using scientific methods to survey populations helps you find out the answers to the primary questions like: What products or services do people want and need? Which demographic groups are included? Do they want products delivered or available in stores? And, when do they want them? The answers to these questions will help you decide what products and services you'll offer and which type of organization you should create to fill customers' needs. You'll also need to define the target market you serve. Your target market is the 20% of your complete market of buyers who love your products and services and support them with repeated purchases. They keep you in business by staying loyal and buying from you on a regular basis. The other 80% of customers, those who don't necessarily support your business consistently, will only buy periodically, not enough to support you and keep you in business. Market research begins by defining your market and the demand for your product or service. Intensive research is necessary, such as creating longer surveys of 100 questions or more strategized to give your organization the information it needs to make business decisions. Ask the questions using multiple choice and closed-ended questions, which will primarily define your quantitative research. Quantitative means mathematic quantities, like yes, no, or make one choice, how many, when, what. You'll also benefit from asking questions that require short answers, because those will give you quantifiable data and information to use. The opposite is qualitative research where you use open-ended questions to dig deeper into understanding feelings. Open-ended questions answer why and how questions like: Why do you like the product or service and how do you like it delivered? More descriptive answers are gleaned from the research when open-ended questions are used. You get to understand what it is that so many people like about your product or service.