Nowadays, the marketing universe essentially consists of two worlds – the digital and the traditional. Popular thinking once held that consumers, especially younger ones, were flocking to the digital sphere and abandoning long-standing physical destinations such as stores. Tablets, smartphones, web, social media … they all pointed to one unarguable fact – bits and bytes were the new rulers of the marketing universe.
Anybody who clings to this belief, however, would be way off base. If going to the mall on a weekend doesn’t convince you that all consumers aren’t hiding online somewhere, consider this…
Research conducted by The NPD Group revealed that 81% of Millennials make their purchases in retail stores. And you can bet your bottom marketing dollar that if this younger group is stepping out into the physical world to buy stuff, other demographics are doing the exact same.
Further research revealed an even more startling fact: The preferred source of coupons and deals for Millennials is incredibly, the newspaper. Yes, that Stone Age reservoir of information and gossip still holds sway with the younger set when it comes to grabbing bargains. No doubt, this same ‘print appeal’ applies to older demographics, as well.
So is it time to ditch your digital campaigns and pour all your resources into traditional marketing? Only if you want to lose market share in a hurry.
No question about it. Digital is here to stay. The soaring popularity of smartphones, tablets, social media, and all the rest is undeniable proof of that. But traditional marketing approaches aren’t about to be bumped out of the picture.
Fortunately, there’s no reason for the digital and traditional worlds to collide. A balanced plan that integrates both into a marketing campaign is the approach for today. Ideally, brand marketers should strive for a synergy between print, digital, and if on the menu, broadcast media. Full integration of these channels along with consistent brand messaging will generate the best results in our multi-option universe.
If you have any questions or comments about utilizing integrated marketing for your business or organization, or about any brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.
You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #4033 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.