Traditional media is often overlooked or “on trial” for not being an effective marketing strategy. Since digital media is apparently easier, cheaper, and more accessible, advertising through traditional platforms like print or television have, consequently, decreased over the past decade. 

Think about it...when was the last time you spent hours scrolling through your phone or binging Netflix versus sitting down to read the paper or watching TV advertisements (without fast forwarding) during a program? 

Digital ad spend has increased and even surpassed non-digital ad spending in the past year. In fact, according to Statista, social network ad spending has increased by over 15 billion in the past five years. 

Despite the flair and benefits of new media marketing, however, traditional marketing campaigns still have their place in a company’s marketing strategy. 

Building a Case for Traditional Marketing 

Defining the Character of the Witness - What is Traditional Media?

Traditional media or “old” media is how advertisers have been reaching consumers for years. It is a one-way informative conversation with the consumer via the following platforms:

• TV advertisements

• Print (magazine or newspaper ads)

• Radio

• Outdoor advertising (billboards, blimps, train station ads, etc.)

What are the Setbacks when Using Traditional Print, Radio, or TV ads vs New Media?

1. The audience is too broad.

   Targeting to a specific audience is more difficult for a billboard or TV spot - not everyone needs a hair transplant or an injury lawyer...and those Jesus billboards certainly aren’t for everyone!

   New media, on the other hand, makes targeting and retargeting substantially easier due to data collection. Marketers know not only a user’s age, location, and gender, but their interests, music tastes, and overall preferences.

   While a personalized experience seems more convenient for the consumer, there is a rising concern about data collection and privacy. Studies from Adlucent, IAB, and Epsilon have shown that consumers prefer a personalized experience, but surveys from RSA and Pew Research show that consumers prioritize their privacy over catered ads. In fact, only 17% of consumers find personalized advertisements ethical. This lack of trust and invasion of privacy may make consumers more open to a traditional approach.

   Read more - Erosion of Brand Trust in the Marketing Industry

2. Traditional marketing is expensive. 

   The age old excuse is that traditional media is more expensive to advertisers and, thus, not worth it. This, however, is a false claim. 

   Although advertising on social channels like Facebook or LinkedIn advertising may seem cheaper, a lot of money needs to support an ad campaign to fight through the clutter and be noticed. The cost per impression or conversion substantially increases over time to equal the same, if not more than a traditional ad.

   For example, businesses pay about “$5 to $34 per 1,000 viewers for a local TV ad” while, according to Hootsuite, marketers pay $7.19 cost per a thousand impressions (CPM) via Facebook advertising. The costs can certainly add up and equate to one another. Not only do the costs of advertising increase per conversion, but social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. are free services to consumers so the interface is constantly adjusting. This means marketers need to spend the time and money training and adapting to the constant ad changes on these sites.

3. Consumers are adapting to new mediums.

   People are spending about 2 hours a day on their phones in the US and about 3 hours total on their devices. The increase in media consumption is an opportunity for companies to gain exposure.

   Audiences are more digital - subscribing to virtual news updates and paying for streaming services. As streaming platforms rise in popularity, TV consumption and cable subscriptions have decreased. Audiences still tune in during monumental occasions like the Super Bowl, Oscars, or election news cycle but, if the consumer is spending the majority of their time elsewhere, might as well adjust to meet them.

   Read more - Marketing in the Crowded Landscape of Streaming Services

The Verdict - Traditional Marketing isn’t Bad

Traditional media, turns out, is effective. It reaches a broader audience at a higher frequency for potentially a cheaper price than new media marketing initiatives. Although traditional comes with its strengths, it is not the end all be all to gain traction and convert consumers.  

Marketers who solely rely on traditional marketing efforts are, simply put, missing out on opportunities to amplify a digital campaign to create stronger touch points throughout the customer’s journey.

Read more - Marketing Attribution: Tracking Touch Points Throughout the Customer Journey

Certain platforms are already adjusting. TV ads are revitalized into ads before YouTube videos and, even though families aren’t crowding around the radio for Fireside chats anymore, podcasts (which have grown in popularity averaging seven podcasts listened to per individual a week) have evolved from radio.

Moving Forward - What is the Best Course of Action for Brands?

The best course of action is to create integrated marketing campaigns using traditional and new media platforms. However, this all depends on your strategy, budget, and goals!

Read more - Building the Case for Bigger Marketing Budget

Brands have done a great job of this during the Super Bowl. A great combo is playing an ad live and then asking viewers to visit a site or social channel to continue the story.

If you’re worried about targeting “too broad” of an audience, you can be like MoonPie and release your Super Bowl ad on your social account and solely in gas stations to reach that prime target market.

Spotify does a great job at integrated marketing campaigns. The marketing team expertly uses data collected from the site for marketing on physical billboards all the while connecting it to a digital campaign. A perfect example is Spotify’s “2018 Goals” campaign where they celebrated people’s playlists digitally and created humorous billboards. The physical campaign increased awareness and their revenue tripled in the next quarter.

In closing…when it comes to marketing, sometimes a packaged deal is the best bet…it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Want to get in touch with some digital or traditional media marketing experts? Contact us!