Send us a textIn this episode, Kendra Corman shares a powerful classroom story that turned into a real-world lesson on integrated marketing communications. What started as a nonprofit fundraising case study became a master class—taught by her students—on how marketing channels work best when they work together.Kendra walks through how three student teams tackled a struggling nonprofit gala and what their insights reveal about building a smarter, more intentional marketing mix.The Classroom Experiment That Changed the ConversationStudents were asked to defend one of three fundraising strategies for a nonprofit facing rising costs and declining attendance:Keep the traditional annual galaPivot to digital-first campaignsReplace the gala with smaller community eventsEach team had to consider donor segments, demographics, and capacity—and challenge one another’s assumptions. The surprising outcome wasn’t which strategy “won,” but what the students realized next. The Big Insight: It’s Not Either/OrThe breakthrough moment came when a student asked: Why do we have to pick just one? That question reframed the entire exercise.The final recommendation combined:A smaller, more focused gala for older donors and sponsorsCommunity events to engage younger and niche audiencesDigital marketing to expand reach and accessibilityInstead of abandoning what worked, they built around it. What Integrated Marketing Actually Looks LikeKendra connects the classroom lesson to real client work, sharing how successful nonprofits:Keep core efforts that still serve a specific audienceAdd complementary channels based on donor segmentsGrow intentionally without overwhelming their teamsThe key isn’t doing everything—it’s choosing the right mix and scaling with purpose. A Simple Framework to Evaluate Your MarketingKendra offers three questions to help evaluate whether your current marketing mix makes sense:Is it working—or just comfortable? Signs of “comfortable but not working” include declining results, increasing effort, and doing things out of habit.If it’s working, do you have capacity to grow? If you do, consider one small addition that reaches an audience you’re currently missing.Is it working, but exhausting you? If you’re drowning to maintain it, something needs to change—working smarter matters.This framework helps you decide whether to refine, add, or replace parts of your strategy without burning everything down. Key TakeawaysDon’t abandon what works just because something new appearsDon’t rely on one channel if it leaves you vulnerableBe intentional about your marketing mix—not reactiveCapacity is a constraint, not a strategyKendra closes by inviting listeners to reflect on their own “why pick one?” moment and consider how their marketing channels could work better together.If you’ve ever felt stuck choosing between what’s familiar and what’s new, this episode offers a smarter Looking to leverage AI? Want better results? Want to think about what you want to leverage?Check and see how I am using it for FREE on YouTube. From "Holy cow, it can do that?" to "Wait, how does this work again?" – I've got all your AI curiosities covered. It's the perfect after-podcast snack for your tech-hungry brain. Watch here