With the rapid growth of technology, one needs to adapt to the changes otherwise you’ll get left behind. Entrepreneurs need to be innovative and creative if you want your business to stay in the game. Over the years, we can notice how the advertising industry has evolved. Traditional marketing has paved the way for digital mediums of advertising. This is not something to be feared or frowned upon, these changes should be embraced and adapted. In this article, we will walk you through how traditional forms of advertising have transformed over the years.
The Evolution of Traditional Advertising
There are different forms of advertising such as print media, broadcast media, billboards and signages, direct mail, television, radio, flyers, tarpaulins, and many more. In the past, these forms of advertising have dominated our roads, events, seminars, concerts, festivals, and other occasions. It has proven its effectiveness in the past, but as consumers evolve, so does their way of appreciating different marketing styles. Some of the few advertising mediums which have been affected are:
Print Media. Newspapers, magazines, flyers, and brochures are a few examples of printed publications. These are also the ones greatly affected by the rise of the digital age. There were a handful of newspaper outlets that decided to close down the business. The readership of hardbound newspapers has declined over the years. This fact was echoed by Pew Research Center in this article entitled, Newspapers Fact Sheet, published last year. The decline in the print media was also reported by Statista in their article entitled U.S Print Media Industry – Statistics and Facts.
Adapting to Online Print Media
With the gradual decline in subscribers and readership of hardbound print media, company owners had to incorporate digital in their services/products. Today, there are plenty of newspaper outlets that are available both in printed and digital forms. Some of them are The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. The readership of online subscribers in The Wall Street Journal is around 3 million while their print subscribers are roughly around 600 thousand. Most of the newspapers mentioned above have a strong online presence. Deciding to incorporate the digital medium in their business kept their organization running. These newspapers serve two forms of readers, the traditional ones and the modern, tech-advance subscribers.
Broadcast Media
Remember the days when you are listening to your favorite song on the radio and suddenly the announcer cuts off the song to advertise a particular brand of soap? Or while you are listening to your favorite afternoon radio drama, it gets cut off only to have the brand of car be advertised. These are the days when radios are a big thing in advertising. Television shows were also dominant in the past. You can watch your favorite actress get beaten by the villain and eventually rise and take revenge. You can watch advertisements of moms bragging about their favorite laundry detergent soaps. During those days, huge portions of the marketing budget are placed into televisions and radios.
The Rise of Online Broadcast Advertising
Similar to printed advertising, online media has also adapted to the changing times. If you were listening to the radio before for your favorite music, you can now do that by downloading different streaming apps such as Spotify, and Youtube. What’s even better is that you can watch the music video while listening to your favorite song. This makes the experience even more engaging and entertaining. Unlike with the radios where you only use your ears to listen, with digital advertising, you can see the music video and hear the song while it’s playing. Similarly in the past, radios didn’t allow you to see the faces of the announcers or disc jockeys (DJs). You only get to listen to what they are talking about. These days, you can watch a podcast and see who’s talking. In addition, you can listen to them and watch their facial expressions or body language.
The same goes with televisions, in the past, you could introduce your brand to your audience with actresses promoting your brand on TV. You pay a hefty marketing price for advertisement productions. If you are a start-up with no marketing budget to spend, you can’t promote your brand on television. These days, the playing field is a lot different. Ordinary people can promote your brand online. You can also get some influencers with thousands of followers to promote your brand online. You don’t need a big marketing budget to get the word out. These days, you can start promoting your brand just by creating a social media page and adding people to follow the page. You just need a phone and an internet connection to get the ball rolling.
What’s even better is that your reach in the form of online broadcast advertising is wider as compared to radio or television. Let’s say, you’re listening to a local radio station, the audience is limited based on the location only. The extent of reach of the radio station can’t be further than its set proximity. Unlike if it’s an online radio broadcast, it doesn’t matter if you are located in other parts of the world. The same is true for television, the broadcast is limited based on the signal it is contracted to. Let’s say that it only operates in one country or a specific region of a country. Your viewers are fewer. Unlike in online broadcasting, your promotion can be viewed from different countries. You are not bound by a specific region only. In turn, your viewership capture is bigger. The chances of people recognizing and buying your product are higher in online advertising as compared to traditional radios and televisions. This is the reason why brand owners are shifting, if not combining, the two forms of advertising.
Outdoor Signage
In the past, marketers would also spare a huge amount of budget for billboards, signages, banners, buntings, and other advertising materials. You will see different posters, stickers, and tarpaulins on moving cars and buses. You will also see them hang on huge walls, waiting sheds, and other public areas with large foot traffic. Outdoor signage and banners are cost-effective tools to introduce your product to your market. They are simple, straightforward, and effective. But unlike in the past when there were no other forms of advertisements dividing your audience’s attention, these days there are plenty of distractions. To make sure that you capture your market’s interest, you should be welcoming dynamic and interactive displays that highlight your brand’s product and services.
The Rise of Dynamic and Interactive Displays
To make your display more engaging and interesting, make sure that you combine both traditional and digital advertising. There are plenty of ways to do this. For example, if you are using a pop-up a- frame for your event, you can place a QR Code in the design. This QR code will direct the users to a webpage where they can enter their information in exchange for a raffle ticket and a chance to win some of your cool products. Another example is that you can have a virtual reality display in your booth, allowing your visitors to use some cool glasses that let them step into a virtual world. This world is filled with your products which they can play around or use. This makes the interaction more fun and unique. You can also use your advertising flags to include a site link to your social media pages. Encourage people to take selfies and post them online to win some products. There are plenty more creative ways in which you can merge traditional and digital advertising. If you want your market to stay engaged make sure that you don’t shy away from modern changes.
Traditional advertising has truly transformed as the years go by. Marketers are adapting to different hybrid approaches and cross-channels to maximize the potential reach of their audience. Digital advertising offers plenty of advantages such as targeted advertising, granular data analytics, interactive content, and wider audience reach. To provide seamless customer service why not combine the two mediums? You can provide a more personalized experience and drive better engagement.
