5 irrational justifications for traditional media advertising that digital media chews up and spits out

Digital media is anything in the online world that provides an opportunity to reach an audience with a message or to prompt an action that can be measured and/or adapted based on how it’s doing. On the flip side, traditional media offers a space to share a message with a mass audience that suggests an action that can’t adequately or timeously be measured or changed based on the results.

Although there has been a visible jump in online advertising spend, traditional media still owns 75.4% of the advertising budget globally. Based on the opening statement of this article, it seems rather absurd that this would be the case.

According to eMarketer, advertisers worldwide are expected to spend close on US$600-billion on advertising (six percent up on 2014) on advertising this year. Digital will take a US$170.50 billion slice of that pie and Mobile Internet advertising, remaining the biggest growth area, will see advertisers spend US$64.25-billion, an increase of nearly 60% from 2014.

With all the facts that support going digital, it is surprising to still see so much money spent on TV and Newspapers.

On closer inspection, there could be a few factors fueling this continued spend:

1. Companies are scared

Digital is a fairly new space and big companies are fearful of putting money behind something they can’t see. Facebook advert vs a 4 x 6m billboard on William Nicol – the CEO probably drives on William Nicol, but may not be in your targeted audience and will never see that advert on Facebook.

2. Traditional is more expensive

Pre and post-production drives this. The perception of something being expensive is believed to create the perception that the brand is good amongst customers (Perception + perception = assumption).

3. Marketers are not sure how to measure and report ROI of digital

You need to be clear on your objectives to know how to determine the return.

4. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t

Change takes time.

5. Digital Agencies are not equipped

Brands look for a consistent and effective online offering that compliments the offline strategy, agencies seem to struggle with this synergy.

While it’s shocking how much is still being spent on traditional media, it is exciting to see the increase in the online spend. There must be a good reason that companies and marketing professionals are pumping an increasing amount of cash into digital media every year.

The graph below from Digital Strategy Consulting gives a nice overview of how spending patterns by medium have changed over the past three years.

Looking at traditional media, there are key traits that are likely driving this shift to more digital spend year-on-year. Traditional media is, in essence, mass distributed in a physical environment, unaware of the customer’s mindset or where they are in the purchase cycle.

If by some stroke of luck, the message is actually relevant to an individual and they cannot recall the exact advert, the advertiser runs the risk of never converting that person into a customer or even a quality lead, because there is no possible way to directly switching that person from the point of exposure to taking action.

On the other end of the spectrum, Digital Media offers a range of advantages:

1. The playing fields are leveled

Anyone can advertise online, big or small you have an opportunity to reach your audience without spending huge amounts on pre-production and flighting costs.

2. ROI

Advertising spend can finally be effectively measured. Ad spend divided by number of leads = Cost per Lead (if the cost per lead is worth more to you than the amount you spent to reach this person, ROI has been achieved).

3. Targeting

Reach the right people at a time most relevant to them.

4. Multiple platforms with various advertising models

Advertisers are not limited to TV, Radio, Print, Outdoor or Cinema. With Google Search and Display networks, the opportunities are endless, to add to this popular social media networks have their own advertising platforms available to anyone with a profile.

5. Testing

A/B or split testing allows advertisers to test the waters with their messaging, imagery and platforms being used to see which is the most effective so that they can apportion budget according to actual results.

6. Cheap

Online is relatively cheap, the extent of pre-production required is some word crafting and a graphic designer at most.

7. Lead Generation

With the right content in the right places, generating new business and leads is faster and more effective than ever before.

8. Brands now have a space in their customers’ lives

The digital world exists in people’s personal space, their phones and devices are part of their “personal bubble”, and they are willing to interact and engage with brands at a time when they are most likely to be favourable to you and what you are selling.

9. Digital creates a living, breathing personality for brands

The format of the online world forces brands to know who they are, how they would respond, their values and their style. Consumers respond best to brands they can resonate with.

10. People assume you don’t exist if they can’t find you online

If you do not have a digital footprint, your customers cannot find you online and this can result in the disregard of your trustworthiness and credibility.

11. The experience is fully in the brand’s control

The downside of traditional media is that there is limited influence of the experience of the message. Online offers opportunity for delight, a journey of continuous surpassing expectations and creating loyal customers through processes designed with the customer in mind.

12. Convert customers in real time

From the time a potential customer clicks on an advert/ content and they arrive on an owned online space i.e. your website, the brand is in the driver’s seat, various tactics can be deployed to move that person through the decision making process and into purchase phase within minutes.

13. Fact-based results

Analytics tools available on all online media allow for the measurement of CTR, bounce rates, impressions, conversion tracking, user flows and much more to help the advertiser measure success as well as update messages, artwork or landing pages based on results.

Digital Media clearly offers more benefits than the irrational fears of it can justify, for marketers this is the what the future of advertising looks like. For companies this is where your target market is (if you need just one reason). Let’s stop procrastinating, it’s time to put more advertising budget behind online efforts to begin reaping the rewards of the treasures that await in the world of online, targeted, relevant advertising.