The blueprint behind the feeling

Why comms planning is the integration strategy that makes great creative stick

By Julie Levine
SVP, Comms Planning
BarkleyOKRP

We all know the feeling.
You see a spot. You hear a line. You catch a moment on your feed and pause. You feel something.

But here’s what you might not notice:
That moment was part of a system. One you didn’t see — because when it’s working, you’re not supposed to.

That system? That’s comms planning.
And more specifically — integration.

Creativity creates gravity.
Planning creates the orbit that Holds It Together.

In “They’re not distracted. They’re disinterested,” the case is made loud and clear: creative that doesn’t make people feel doesn’t stand a chance.

Yes. Fully agreed.

But even the most emotionally resonant idea can collapse under its own weight if it’s not supported by an integrated system — a cohesive, intentional rollout that aligns every channel, format, and audience moment. That’s where comms planning steps in.

This isn’t about placing assets. It’s about connecting them. Orchestrating them. Creating a throughline. A red thread. Making the brand story coherent, no matter how or where it’s encountered.

Without integration, even great creative can feel disjointed

Sephora has a loyalty program others can only hope to copy. Creative is crystal clear. Rewards are plentiful and easy to access. Members only have to sign in to Sephora’s VIP program to view and select available rewards — from products to trips and experiences. The first communication after members left the site? A retargeted ad inviting them to join Sephora’s VIP program.

That’s not a creative problem.
That’s an integration problem.

When comms planning is treated as an afterthought, we lose the opportunity to stitch the story together. We trade impact for fragmentation. Emotion for confusion.

Now flip that: think of a campaign where every touchpoint — video, podcast, retail, influencer, SMS — created a single feeling rather than a cacophony of noise. Think about how it built feeling over time. That’s the system behind the campaign. And it was intentionally designed, probably by a comms planner you never saw.

Integration isn’t about consistency. It’s about continuity.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about repeating the same message everywhere. That’s not integration. That’s echo.

Real integration is strategic choreography. It’s asking:

1. How does the first touchpoint lead to the next?
2. How does the paid spot inform the owned content?
3. How do we turn attention into a path, not just a pop?

When done right, it feels seamless. Not identical, but intentional. That’s the kind of creative system that moves people because it respects them.

And yes, it takes more work. But it also makes every piece of the creative work harder, longer, smarter.

Great creative deserves great structure.

We don’t need to convince advertisers that creativity matters. They already know it.

We need to convince advertisers that if we want creative to perform, scale, and evolve—it needs a plan.

An integration plan.
A comms plan.

One that honors the soul of the idea, while stretching it across platforms without snapping it in half. One that makes space for evolution and scale without losing the idea. One that turns a singular story into a system that holds together and pulls people in.

Because when the creative is great, it deserves a structure that lets it shine in every format, not just the first one.

Comms planning is integration planning.

It’s not a task. It’s a craft. One that makes creative coherent, continuous, and connected.

So if creative is the reason people feel something, comms planning is the reason they feel it again. And again. And again. Across formats. Across channels. Across time.

This is how brands don’t just show up.

They grow. They build memories. They create gravity.

Not through reach alone, but through rhythm. Through resonance. Through relevance, mapped and maintained by the architecture of integration.

Creative is the fire.
Integration fans the flames.

Are you looking for a partner who creates gravity for your brand with ideas that attract and keep your customers for life? Contact our Chief Growth Officer, Jason Parks, at jparks@barkleyokrp.com to learn more.