At times my staff looks at me cross-eyed, thinking me a dinosaur without a clue.
I’m being told by my associates, bloggers, fellow agency owners and assorted “experts” that online and social media are not only the “way things are today”, but that all forms of traditional marketing communication will soon be online only: Print is dead. PR is all-digital, all the time. Trade shows are a thing of the past. And, don’t even bother employing direct snail mail.
Yet, I have also read snippets from individuals like Bob Hoffman, the Ad Contrarian wherein he states the data doesn’t necessarily support the above comments and that in fact, traditional forms of media and communication still work.
Imagine that.
Bob’s latest blog contains some interesting information. According to the numbers, television is not losing ground to online media at a “staggering rate.” Online advertising isn’t the only answer to awareness-generation strategies. E-commerce isn’t taking over retail sales. Yet, if you listen to all the online pundits, you’d think traditional forms of communication are doomed.
Recent communications trends and results, along with supporting data, continue to prove to me that all forms of communication remain viable – that delivering your messages via the medium most often consumed by your target audience is wise.
True, if you’re selling the latest fashions to teens, then online or social communication may be the answer. But if you’re attempting to educate a coal mine executive about the features of your latest shovel, or a veterinarian on the benefits of a new pharmaceutical compound, then delivering your messages via an integrated campaign – utilizing sound strategy incorporating traditional and digital communication – may certainly be the way to go.
