AdminTraditional Marketing is the process of marketing used in traditional ways without the help of digital technologies like web, social media, etc. It is a convenient mode of marketing that is used for targeting the audience with various offline advertising and promotional methods.
You’ve most likely been exposed to traditional marketing at one point in your life. These include:
1. Print (magazines, newspapers, etc.)
2. Broadcast (TV, radio, etc.)
3. Direct Mail (catalogs, postcards, etc.)
4. Telephone (telemarketing, SMS marketing, etc.)
5. Outdoor (billboards, flyers, etc.)
Billboards: Fitting The Bill
Billboards using printed or hand-painted images on canvas are still very commonly in use. From highways to hallways, billboards have come a long way. This traditional marketing mode uses less text and more images. A picture is worth a thousand words and compelling images are great for raising brand awareness. This is a marketing method most are familiar with. Larger signs will never be overlooked and billboards cannot go obsolete, given their wide reach across social classes and geographical boundaries.
Direct Mail: Moving Past Email Marketing
Direct mail is making a real comeback. Once upon a time, people would tag it as snail mail and shrink away. But now, direct mail scores on creativity, personalizing and targeting a particular audience. Direct mail is not just easier to understand, it also has a greater power to influence readers. Brand recall is way higher in research studies where direct mail was compared to other marketing methods like email. Faster response rates, more purchases and greater ease of retrieval make good old-fashioned direct mail the real deal in new-age marketing.
Consider why the pen may be mightier than the sword when it comes to marketing. Direct mail in certain industries also evoke a higher response rate. For example, yellow letters work far better than bond paper-based typewritten letters in the real estate investment space. Composed by hand on the yellow legal pad, these letters are more individualized and personal. Content is incisive and essential sender information is included.
Flyers and Brochures: The Power of Hand-outs
Brick and mortar establishments, streets, or malls are just some of the places where flyers and brochures can come in handy. These are still the most widely preferred methods for special discounts and offers. Consider the value of business cards that directly introduce a business to the client. Traditional marketing that is face-to-face is way more connective and interactive.
Don’t underestimate the power of hand-outs to bring your business new growth opportunities. Direct mail and business cards also elicit emotional reactions and are more easily absorbed than words on a screen. Message mediums like these evoke strong responses and greater reach for marketers.
Face to Face Interaction: Why Reality Beats Virtual Marketing
Traditional marketing has been around for ages. People are used to it. Traditional methods from signage to networking at events, cold calls and referrals harness the power of human interaction. This really works well, to close a sale. Tangible, physical canvas, paper, and traditional marketing mediums evoke a sensation and a lasting memory. These are also easier to retrieve than logging onto a visual storefront or a digital calling card online.
Print Ads: Harnessing Word Power
Print is not dying; it is merely evolving. Mobile penetration has only made print media more distinctive. Newspapers and magazines are visible on digital mediums and the smartphone could well be a boon for print ads.
Telemarketing: Cold Calling Is the Right Number to Dial
Outbound and inbound telemarketing still rule the marketing industry. MarketingProfs, for instance, listed this has the most critical B2B lead generation strategy which even beats CRM systems hollow. Focus on core operations by opting for world-class call answering services.
Event Marketing: Networking with a Difference
During the olden days, traditional copyright marketing ruled the roost; nowadays, the game is all about generating a buzz. While the power of a persuasive copy should be ignored at your own peril, traditional marketing now incorporates event marketing with a difference. Networking is the key to attracting top talent besides marketing products and services. Online marketing cannot bridge this divide.
Salespeople: The Catalyst in the Marketing Process
Though it is true that over 70 percent of the buyer’s journey is complete before salespeople come into contact with the customer, marketing is an art which requires training and experience. That is why Online Marketing Institute and such top institutions are needed to hone skills. Customer care can also play a vital role in converting prospects to solid customers or even help in client retention, courtesy cancellation teams that persuade you to stay with the brand.
Most companies still use traditional marketing, like Coca Cola, Nike, and McDonald’s. It has evolved in the last few decades, but the fundamental aspects remained the same. It still relies on the 4 p’s of marketing: price, place, product, and promotion.
With technological advances we have today, it would be a shame to entirely rely on traditional ways. Sure, you can reach your targeted audience by making catalogs of your products or by making a commercial but be warned that it requires a lot of money and it will never bring you exposure like digital marketing can. It also doesn’t allow direct interaction with customers which is necessary for your business to grow.
So, if you are thinking about going traditional, think twice
Who employes Traditional marketing?
Bigger companies also use direct mail more often, as the design, printing, and mailing expenses can add up to substantial amounts. Mid-sized and large businesses often use all forms of traditional marketing in one way or another.
Entrepreneurs and small businesses, who may have limited marketing budgets, most often use print marketing in newspapers or newsletters to advertise to local customers. Many also place local radio advertisements. Some use direct mail, and a few may employ limited telemarketing.
How does it work?
The strategies for developing a traditional marketing plan vary widely, according to the form of advertising used and the type of business. In some companies, particularly small businesses, the entire staff will contribute to planning and execution. Larger companies often have marketing departments dedicated to creating advertising campaigns that use traditional marketing.
The first step in developing a plan is to choose print, broadcasting, direct mail, or telemarketing. This choice depends on the budget and the marketing message conveyed. For example, a store that’s announcing a sale will use more immediate impact strategies like broadcasting or print, while a business launching a general awareness campaign might choose direct mail, which stays in consumers’ hands for a longer period of time.
For print and broadcast marketing, the business must arrange to purchase advertising space. The timing of this step depends on the lead time, or how far in advance the advertising space must be purchased. Some print media, such as wide-circulation magazines, have lead times of several weeks. For example, an advertisement in Sports Illustrated magazine must be reserved at least five weeks in advance and longer for premium placement. Other markets have shorter times, with some newspapers allowing next-day ad placement.
The development of marketing materials also varies depending on the form. Direct mail and print campaigns require graphic design and copywriting. For telemarketing, the advertisers write a script for the sales representatives (or outsourced telemarketing company) to follow. Radio ads may be either produced and pre-recorded, or scripted and read by on-air personalities. Finally, television commercials can either be written by the marketing department and produced in-house, or contracted out to production companies.
Types of carriers
Brand Manager
A brand manager is responsible for planning, developing, and directing the marketing efforts for a particular product or brand. This may be an entire company, or a line of products within a large company.
Brand managers coordinate the activities for a team of marketers involved in several facets of operation, including research and development, production, sales and advertising, purchasing, distribution, packaging development, and financing. These professionals decide on marketing strategies, conceptualize and oversee marketing campaigns, and control the brand’s public image through advertising.
Education and experience
A typical brand manager will hold a four-year bachelor’s degree in marketing or advertising. In addition, most large companies require at least four years of experience in lower marketing positions, such as sales representatives.
Advertising sales director
The job of an advertising sales director is to manage the entire advertising strategy of a company from all directions, including business, sales, and technical perspectives. Typically in charge of a team of sales representatives, these high-ranking managers oversee the development of sales materials, campaign implementation, and advertising budgets and projections.
Education and Experience
An advertising sales director must hold a four-year bachelor’s degree in marketing, sales, or advertising, and typically needs a minimum of 10 years’ experience in sales and marketing. Most businesses hire advertising sales directors who have proven track records in marketing success.
Media Director
A media director typically works at an advertising agency that develops and implements marketing strategies for other companies. The job of the media director is to manage the purchase of print space and broadcast time for clients.
These professionals work with a client to choose the most effective avenues for traditional marketing, usually through market research and statistical models. They are also responsible for working with media sales representatives to place the advertisements.
Education and Experience
A four-year bachelor’s degree in sales, marketing, or advertising is required to become a media director. As with most management-level marketing professionals, a media director also needs at least 5 years of field experience, with a proven record of results.