EDWARD S. SUCHERMAN & ASSOCIATES LTD.

Online marketing today and tomorrow – viral, social, Google ads, search engine optimization, and on and on – are all ways to target a market technologically.  Internet marketing also reaches your target market as individuals, but tends to do so in a cold, unfeeling manner.  Traditional marketing (on TV, radio, in newspapers, magazines, etc.), which has worked so well for over 100 years, not only targets mass markets through mass media, but it does so emotionally. (Examples: The friendly skies of United.  The oriental beauty and service of Singapore airlines. The roaring humor of the Afflac duck.)

So, what is right for your product or company — cold, efficient, high-tech media or warmer, traditional messages? 

No doubt, the answer will be a happy medium.  But we aren’t there yet. 

Financially, of course, the Internet trumps everything else.  It is that efficient.  But is it that effective? It may be for making quick sales, but not for brand building (emotionally bonding with your customers).

First, of course, I strongly recommend that you do not generalize, like I just did.  Everything depends upon your product.  If you are selling retirement living and your decision makers tend to be over 65, then the Internet may not be right for you.  But emotional appeals might be perfect, dealing with the loss of independence in old age, the retirement lifestyle, health, disease, grandchildren, etc. 

On the other hand, printing and sending, say, 70,000 oversized, full-color, 4-page newsletters by mail to this same target might easily cost $100,000+.  On the Internet, the e-newsletter costs would be $15,000 or less (if you can find a good e-list).  It’s hared to justify NOT sending e-newsletters.

Are blogs the answer, the happy medium?  They certainly seem to be one answer today.  Many companies say that blogs are dominating everything else they do in terms of lead generation.  Yet I am disturbed by the lack of sight and sound in the message…I know it can be better.   It’s hard to be emotional in type only.  But, as Leo Burnett once said, “There are no dull products.  Only dull copywriters.”

Also, in the above example, the elderly don’t usually see as well as younger people.  I always insist on 10-12 point type, minimum.  This wreaks havoc on the design of most gorgeous ads or e-newsletters.  So, if I were sending blogs, I would try to include visuals.  I know most B2B sites, like this one, do not.  But to reach consumers, it is probably best to add some great photos or videos, as long as they do not harm your search engine optimization. (Note that many times, retirement housing, as well as other products for  seniors, are sold to the children of the elderly.  They are middle aged and plenty tech savvy.)

Conclusion: In my opinion, the next great surge of marketing, the one that will lead our nation out of the current recession, will be some combination of emotional, often visual-based messages and the one-on-one technologies of the Internet.  Individual messages won’t be easy – if there are 10 billion people in the world, there are 10 billion different agendas and opinions – so these will need to be compromises, at best.  Reaching the individuals will be easier than talking to (with) each of them.

To the best of my knowledge, this answer has not yet been invented.  It will take a super tech-geek and a super marketing geek to create this vehicle together.

Please share your insights and opinions.

Ed Sucherman

The Marketing Machine

www.edsucherman.com

Tags: Marketing Strategy //