There was one point that kept coming up during the mixed media panel discussion at this year’s Northern Marketing Festival in Manchester: the best-performing channels are no longer trying to work alone.
Although marketing professionals have talked about integrated campaigns for years, what was interesting was hearing directly from media specialists across print, direct mail, audio and broadcast about how their own offerings are adapting to fit into wider campaign strategies more effectively.
Hosted by Fergal O’Connor, the panel featured Fiona Robinson, Lesley Yeomans, Kristen Modral-Peak and Saira Raza.
Despite representing very different channels, the conversation kept landing in the same place. Each panellist reiterated that their platform has a different role to play and campaigns become stronger when those roles are understood properly.
The consensus was clear, that in 2026 each of the channels represented has a place within the marketing mix because each one creates a different type of engagement and audience response.
According to the panel:
- Print brings credibility and cut-through
- Direct mail creates physical engagement
- Audio builds familiarity and repeat exposure
- Broadcast delivers reach at scale
What stood out was how clearly the panellists recognised the value in the channels around them too. There was no “our channel is the answer” thinking.
Instead, the discussion focused on how touchpoints support each other across the customer journey. Awareness generated in one place can reinforce trust somewhere else. For example, a campaign first seen on TV may drive attention, but direct mail or PR activity can help make the message stick – and audio can keep brands front of mind between those moments.
That matters because audience behaviour has changed significantly. People are not interacting with brands in one place anymore. They move between platforms constantly, often consuming multiple forms of media within the same day. The channels adapting best are the ones recognising that reality and positioning themselves as part of a wider campaign ecosystem rather than a standalone solution.
The panel also highlighted something else that is becoming increasingly important: consistency. Audiences expect connected messaging and joined-up experiences, regardless of where they encounter a brand. The campaigns that cut through are usually the ones delivering the same core message across multiple touchpoints in a way that feels intentional rather than fragmented.
That thinking also reflects how we approach campaigns here at Refresh PR.
We do not begin by asking whether a campaign needs PR, direct mail, social media, influencer activity, event management or paid media. We start with the audience, the objective and the outcome the client is trying to achieve. Then we look at the combination of channels that will get us there.
A launch campaign might need PR coverage to build authority, social content to drive engagement and audio partnerships to increase familiarity and sentiment through association. Another campaign may need broadcast reach supported by more targeted activity designed to drive action further down the line. The point is not to force channels together for the sake of integration. It is understanding what each one does well and how they work together commercially.
That was probably the clearest takeaway from the panel overall. The conversation was not about traditional versus digital media. It was about recognising that different channels solve different problems and the best campaigns are the ones that connect those strengths together properly.
For brands, that also creates a challenge. Managing multiple channels effectively takes strategy, consistency and a clear understanding of how each activity contributes to the wider campaign objective. Without that, marketing can quickly become fragmented, reactive and difficult to measure.
That is why brands increasingly look for agency partners who can see the bigger picture. At Refresh, we build campaigns around outcomes first. Whether the goal is increasing awareness, launching a product, strengthening reputation or driving engagement, we focus on creating joined-up communications strategies that connect the right channels in the right way.
Thank you to the panellists for a brilliant discussion and thank you to Prolific North for hosting another fantastic event for the industry. The team do a fantastic job at putting together strong agendas and making the exhibition in between talks really interactive.
If you are looking for support building campaigns that connect the right channels to the right objectives, get in touch with the Refresh team.