I am old enough to remember a time when computers were the size of tool sheds, TVs had a handful of channels, and the most social media you could imagine was the daily newspaper. But that quickly changed. Cable TV, Commadore computers, the Internet, DVRs, iPhones, Facebook, Twitter, Hulu, Roku, ad infinitum.
Little wonder why today’s marketing budgets are shifting away from traditional channels like radio and magazine toward non-traditional avenues like digital advertising and social media. The question is this: is there still a place for traditional media in 2014? The answer, I believe, is yes.
Traditional media still reaches a large audience
Want to reach a vast audience? Then you will need to include traditional media in your mix. As long as there are traditional media outlets, there will be people who turn on the TV, listen to the car radio, read passing outboard boards and thumb through magazines in the supermarket check out line. A fully integrated marketing campaign needs to be able to surround your target. For a B2C brand, this means including traditional media.
Traditional media still gives a brand credibility
Traditional media is still seen as more credible. Odds are more people in your community will recognize the masthead of the local newspaper faster than they will be able to identify the top-rated blog. Social media, as significant as it is, still has the reputation for being a forum for lightweight gossip and puppy pictures. The national 5:30 news has gravitas. This rubs off on a brand.
Traditional media still gives a brand status
Getting exposure in a traditional outlet, such as television, gives a brand instant status. With the right integrated media strategy you can outpace your competition just by injecting traditional channels to an affordable media plan.
Traditional media has a longer shelf life
As cool as social media is, much of it is fleeting and disposable. Your Valentine’s Day tweet has value for about 24 hours. Your blog on the effects of economic stimulus is interesting for a week, tops. A television commercial can run for months and can be repurposed an infinite number of ways.
Traditional media and social media are meant to work together
Today, most traditional media outlets have a presence on the web. Every newspaper or local TV station has a website, a blog and a YouTube channel. By the same token, most blogging deals with traditionally sourced information like the latest Doritos commercial, the last episode of Downton Abbey or an Academy Awards acceptance speech gone bad. Also, much of today’s traditional advertising is formulated to have a web-directed call to action. Bottom line, web and traditional media must work hand in hand to be effective.
If you would like guidance on how to integrate traditional and non-traditional media into an effective media mix, give us a toll-free call at 866.642.7559. We would love to lend a hand.
We are a Dallas Advertising Agency with expertise in integrated marketing
