Overview | Marketing Tools | Marketing with Traditional Media | Marketing Using New Media
Traditional media still pulls the majority of today's businesses toward
success. We have grown up with newspaper advertising and radio and TV commercials.It
is so much a part of our lives we tend to miss its impact.
In fact, we seem to revere traditional advertising. Think of the publicity
over Super Bowl commercials.And the Clio Awards for the best commercials.
There's a certain nostalgia too about older commercials and advertisements.
Our very culture is reflected in traditional media.
Is traditional media outdated?Of course not. Here's why:
People are traditionalists.
Not everyone has moved to the World Wide Web. Customers not on the Web still
look for your ads in newspapers and trade publications. They wait for your
direct mailers. They want to read a nice feature story about your product.
And that may never change.
People need variety.
Even if we are web-savvy, we still look to other media for information.
(That's why Microsoft has a cable TV channel, a national network TV channel,
a Web site, and more in its "media set".)
People need reinforcement.
If we've made a decision about using a product or service, every time we
see the company's name in the media, we reinforce our "correct"
decision about dealing with the company.
Has marketing itself changed?No, marketing has not changed in principle. The goal is still to increase
profits.
What has happened however, is that there is less time to deliver a message.
People have less time to read, listen and hear.
A marketing message needs to be delivered, be understood, and be remembered
long enough to cause an action.
What is the best way to proceed in this new marketing
environment?When all the hoopla dies down, there still remain the basic concepts that apply and will apply, as long as there are products or services to market.
THE BASICS:
Image. Keep all aspects of your marketing
focused on one image. Don't use a high-tech image in one media exposure
and an a warm-fuzzy image in the next. Define yourself. Customers will connect
faster and feel confident in you. This is especially important in today's
fast-paced marketplace. If it doesn't connect, it's dropped.
Media Selection. No one can afford
to be everywhere. But you 've got to concentrate enough to make an impact.
It is hard to get completely objective input sometimes from a person trying
to make a sale. "Will this ad work?" "Sure!" "It
didn't work." "Try again."
KNOW your market. Know your customers. Know the media. Or use an objective
Marketing Consultant.
Customer Knowledge. Here's what I
mean:
A company generated its leads from a direct mail piece. The piece was amazingly
successful. So far, so good. Then the Marketing Director changed. The new
MD did an "evaluation" of the mailing lists. Found many instances
where individuals had not used the company's service and dropped those names
from the mailing lists. The names he dropped were the decision makers. The
services of the company had been selected " top down." Oops!
Keep an Open Mind. If your company
succeeds using trade publication advertising and trade show leads, great.
Try a Web page. Track the results. If your company is a service and pulls
clients from direct mail, good. (Don't slash those lists without checking!)
Try a feature story. Consider the Web as part of your marketing media mix.
The marketplace is too competitive to stand still. You can be sure your
competitors have pushed the pedal to the metal. Consider using a Marketing
Consultant, even short term, to shift to higher gear.
What's next?
To drive your small business to success, and discuss the marketing vehicles that might be used, e-mail mstern@superlink.net. I can help you get the most mileage for your marketing dollar.
Overview | Marketing Tools | Marketing with Traditional Media | Marketing Using New Media
1997 Copyright Marianne Stern, all rights reserved.