A Call to Action: The Benefits of Digital & Traditional Marketing, Wrap-up

Ed Pierce, Fleet Industry Marketer

As discussed last month, traditional marketing and digital marketing both have a place in today’s marketing plans. In fact, an integrated approach is the best way to deliver maximum ROI. While we looked at digital marketing trends, let’s consider the opportunities for traditional marketing.

What is Traditional Marketing?
Traditional marketing comprises promotional activities or print or broadcast advertising. Billboards, print advertisements, TV commercials, newspaper ads, events, radio, and telemarketing are all traditional media. As David Bell, author of Location is (Still) Everything, says: “It’s just pure scale. There are only so many people you can reach online, but there’s a massive segment of people who are still shopping offline, and you want to be able to address that market.”

Although digital marketing has taken over much of the advertising world, traditional marketing is still a key opportunity in driving results, especially in terms of B2B marketing.

The Benefits of Traditional Marketing
As a study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School summarized: “In our easily-distracted culture, it can be easy to fixate on methods that get instant results. While digital marketing reaches a wider audience faster, traditional marketing has its notable advantages.” Here are some that the school listed:

1. Traditional marketing resonates with older demographics
Though digital media has disrupted the way most Americans consume information, the familiarity of traditional marketing resonates with certain demographics, and the accessibility of traditional marketing is tried and true. While trade publications clearly are moving to the digital realm, print advertising – combined with a digital program – contributes to overall awareness, brand building, and positioning. Event programs and sponsorship branding are examples of traditional marketing that are especially effective in reaching a specific audience.

2. Proven success rate
If traditional marketing didn’t get results, companies wouldn’t pay $5 million for a 30-second Super Bowl ad. But even in the fleet business, companies wouldn’t ante up to exhibit or to speak at conferences, create their own informative seminars, undertake telemarketing, or arrange customer advisory meetings if they weren’t effective in building and maintaining business.

3. Targeting advantage
Event marketing has advantages over digital in any micro-targeted promotional effort. According to Bizzabo, 41% of marketers believe that events are the single most effective channel over digital advertising, email, and content marketing. Additionally, B2B businesses can monitor and determine results during and immediately after an event.

4. Sales support
While digital lead generation activities are growing and much appreciated by sales reps, traditional marketing activities have the added advantage of providing an immediate entrée for face-to-face relationship building that digital cannot provide. The B2B sales funnel can be long – months to earn a conversion. And, only the sales rep can bring the deal home. So, the sooner the relationship begins, the better.

As always, I welcome feedback, questions, suggestions, experiences and differing points of view from fleet product and service providers as well as from fleet managers, corporate buyers, consultants, trade association and media representatives. Just send an email to WEPierceiV@outlook.com or call me at (215) 839-1306.

Browse previous A Call to Action Fleet Marketing columns

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