Cross-media communication is more than just hype—it is the future of the graphic communications industry. The formerly manageable world of marketing that primarily used print and mass media has exploded into countless choices related to cross-media communications. Familiar media has been augmented with the rapid run-up of mobile, social, online and interactive media. All of these new channels create demand for more media integration and new marketing approaches, and that means greater operational complexity for graphic communications service providers who want to participate in these new business areas. More importantly, it also creates a tremendous opportunity for those willing to step up to the challenge.

Cross-media campaigns are designed to engage consumers and get them more actively involved.

From a definitional standpoint, cross-media communication is the all-encompassing term for broadcasting one marketing campaign across a spectrum of media formats. It literally means to “cross media” by taking one campaign and distributing it to a multitude of channels. Cross-media refers to the integrated experiences across multiple media types (including print, online, social, mobile and broadcast) to deliver more targeted campaigns with measurable results. The new aspect of cross-media communication is the experience, and that involves a high level of audience interactivity. Cross-media campaigns are designed to engage consumers and get them more actively involved. Marketers that successfully engage their customers will be rewarded with higher brand awareness and consumer ownership of their brands. The waters remain uncharted for both marketers and service providers, but it is time to get on the boat and start the journey.