Combine Traditional Marketing With Digital For Greater Success

Apply The Promotional Mix To Your Marketing Strategies To Increase Sales The debate between traditional vs digital marketing approaches is pointless. The best strategy to use for your advertising is a promotional mix of both.

Marketing experts frequently debate the successes of digital marketing in comparison to traditional marketing methods such as TV and radio or print advertising. Digital marketing is still really in its infancy - it just didn’t exist 20 years ago - yet it is now an integral part of most marketing campaigns. On the other hand, traditional advertising might be seen as being old-fashioned and is often overlooked by modern-day marketing departments.

However, there is no need for a debate as to whether digital is better than traditional or vice versa in the world of marketing. The smart advertising execs know that the real key to successful brand promotion campaigns is to use a combination of both methods.

The Promotional Mix

An advertising strategy that uses this ‘promotional mix’ of marketing approaches begins by using a traditional reach to connect with a broad consumer audience followed by a digital campaign to convert into sales.

Starting with traditional advertising, a campaign can be created which throws the net out wide to try and reach as many potential consumers as possible. Brands can be promoted on media channels such as TV and radio, visual displays such as billboards, and high quality print advertising such as product labels, leaflets, magazine and newspaper spaces. These ads must be eye-catching enough to draw potential consumers in but they should all include a distinct call-to-action.

This should aim to persuade a consumer to follow up on a digital platform, either by visiting the brand’s website or by ‘liking’ their Facebook page for instance. Once the consumers are interacting at a digital level, insight systems can then provide a targeted level of detail about the consumer and their online habits. This enables marketing departments to tailor their digital strategies towards the individual consumer and consequently maximise their sales potential.

Ignore Traditional Marketing At Your Peril 

Whilst it may seem that the likelihood of conversions increase significantly once you have an online customer who you’re pushing offers, discounts and newsletters to, it is still imperative that traditional marketing isn’t ignored.

Take a high profile example such as Pepsi who famously lost 5% of their market share when they moved all of their TV ad budget to social media campaigns. Some experts actually predict that social media marketing will fail altogether. According to McKinsey & Company ““Email remains a more effective way to acquire customers than social media - nearly 40 times that of Facebook and Twitter combined." 

Limited Marketing Budget

Many smaller companies wonder if they will have the budget to be able to cover both traditional and digital marketing strategies. Whilst it is true that SMEs will need to apply a thorough focus to their campaigns, the promotional mix method of advertising can still work well. Businesses can vary their marketing approach based on the time of year, the type of product promotion they require and the specific needs of the business at that point. They should also concentrate on creating striking products labels and logos to help attract consumers.

If your marketing team is able to combine types of marketing methods and learn how to capitalise on both the passive nature of traditional advertising, coupled with the active connections that digital provides, then your business will have much to gain.

Author bio:

Rob Lorkins works for the leading UK label manufacturer, Labelnet. Based in Ongar, Essex, Labelnet design and manufacture high quality branded labels, stickers and packaging.