The internet has transformed the way that consumers shop for new products. From initial awareness via advertising to research and price comparison and point of purchase and delivery, anyone designing or marketing a new product has to consider a much wider range of media than was previously necessary.
This doesn’t mean, however, that traditional media such as print, radio television, and poster displays are outdated. Television, in particular, remains the dominant advertising medium, with more money spent on marketing through this channel than in any other area, though digital is rapidly catching up. Among the main reasons for TV’s continuing popularity with marketers is its sheer reach, further and broader than any of its competitors. And although digital provides more precise analytics and personal targeting, TV audiences are far more predictable in the correlation between their viewing habits and buying behavior.
Take a holistic approach
Businesses now need to create a unified branding theme that will work across various media platforms, and successful ad campaigns are now planned holistically across both old and new media. TV allows you to reach out to a large audience and draw them in, driving traffic online where the more sophisticated and interactive marketing available on digital platforms can work its magic.
TV advertising gives consistent, predictable results and if done well can have a greater impact than any other medium, which is a boon for brand awareness. TV can change consumer outlook and behavior in a way that digital as yet cannot. On the other hand, the flexibility of digital advertising means it is best placed to follow up on the initial impact a TV ad creates.
A great example is the multichannel marketing approach employed by as Seen on TV. Television advertising, using a recognized and trusted brand name, is paired with an online retail site to create a powerful marketing, promotional and selling strategy for a wide range of products that may have struggled to gain widespread visibility on their own. By harnessing TV’s reach and the ability of the digital platform to combine marketing, retail and 24-hour, home or mobile-based accessibility, Seen on TV have created a thriving sector of their own that other companies are able to take advantage of.
Avoid organizational silos
When one department is dealing with TV and print advertising and another is handling digital marketing it’s easy for the overall message to become inconsistent. This kind of departmental tunnel vision is known as organizational silos. If you add in separate departments for social media, blogging, direct marketing and so on you can see how a lack of communication can compromise your overall campaign. It’s vital that the whole team not only work to the same script but share date so that resources and opportunities are not wasted.
Data gathered through social media forums and customer reviews online can be used to modify offers and advertising in other media, as well as providing user-generated content that can then be fed back to the campaign.
Establish brand authority
The foundation of any unified marketing strategy is an understanding of your brand and your audience. Who is buying your product and why? What are the focus and the true identity of the brand? Establishing brand authority and substance means connecting with your product’s core values. This underlying truth can then be communicated via an integrated marketing campaign that extends all the way down to packaging, presentation and customer service, engaging with the lived experience of the product.
Create a narrative
As media fragmentation leads to the public becoming increasingly desensitized to traditional advertising methods, only the most memorable campaigns will stand out. Unified marketing doesn’t mean reducing everything to a simple, repeated tagline or image; rather it means creating a complex and compelling narrative that will play out in different aspects of different media, playing to the strengths of each but always contributing a consistent message that is greater than the sum of its parts.
See the bigger picture
Consumers don’t think in terms of different marketing channels, so why should companies? It’s too easy for a marketer to see the device as the customer, rather than realizing that the same person may be engaging with their website using two or more different devices: browsing on their smartphone then making a purchase on their laptop, for instance. As a result, they may receive ads on their phone for the product they’ve just bought, which is a waste of advertising resources and provides poor customer experience.
Effective marketing should provide a unified experience across all media, digital and traditional. This should actively encourage the customer to engage with the brand and ultimately, of course, make positive purchasing decisions. An integrated holistic strategy is the best way to deliver the results that are needed.