Traditional and Digital Media: The Collaborative Campaign
By Denise Hesser, Director of Media, and Margaret M. Whitson, Senior Digital Media Strategist
The differences between traditional and digital marketing are simple: one focuses on media such as print, television and radio, while the other focuses on the web. The goals of the two, however, are very similar – attract customers, build awareness of your brand and create conversions.
In today’s digital age, it’s common for marketers to wonder if customers have given up print, radio and television. They haven’t. But they are using the internet in addition to these traditional channels. Rarely do consumers simply sit and watch TV anymore – a recent study by InMobi showed that 62% of mobile web users indulge in multi-screen activities while watching television. Consumers are utilizing a variety of digital devices at the same time.
The difference between the two mediums is the likelihood of inspiring the user to take action. When you see a magazine ad, you’re probably not going to immediately purchase the product or service being advertised – you’re going to finish reading the magazine first. The brand is top-of-mind, but your interaction is passive. An online ad allows consumers to click and start shopping immediately. By using both mediums, you catch the attention of a potential customer with a magazine ad or TV commercial and then deliver a call-to-action for the customer to engage with the brand’s digital channels. And as you receive messages from more and more “traditional” media outlets on your digital devices (hello, digital newspapers and magazines), the lines between traditional and digital media will begin to blur.
The power of collaboration is indisputable. By using a mix of online and offline strategies, you’ll reach a larger audience and reinforce your brand message. And a unified marketing message across channels in an extremely effective strategy for increasing engagement and creating conversions.
Mark Mathis
Mark wrote his first direct-mail fundraising letter in 1981 for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. The effort raised a few million dollars in undiscovered wills and legacy gifts. From that day forward Mark discovered a love of the big idea that moves the needle. After 12 years at KWWL, Mark became a business owner as a co-founder of ME&V — rebranded as AMPERAGE in 2015. After 25 years of leading creative teams in video production, graphic design, PR, writing and web development, Mark transitioned out of ownership in 2021. Today he serves in an employee role as special projects consultant. He is creatively ambidextrous — son of an artist and engineer — and famous for distilling complex ideas down to a few words and a few visuals. Mark is a writer. When he found that many nonprofits struggled with complex branding puzzles, he wrote the book, “NonProfit-NonMarketing .” He also wrote a novel called “Reenactment.” Mark is an active blogger OneMinuteMarketer® with nearly 1,000 readers each week on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. One of his most popular YouTube videos is on “How to Look Good on Zoom.” One of Mark’s fondest business memories was being named to INC 500 two times and attending the INC 500 conference with other winners. Mark is considered by some a Civil War expert (and that explains his novel). Mark also served as an adjunct professor in the business and in the communications departments at Wartburg College. Mark is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is currently vice president of the University of Iowa Journalism and Mass Communications Advisory Board. Mark is married to state Sen. Liz Mathis, and the two love to travel, even when it means being trapped by a volcano in the Czech Republic for three weeks.
