Traditional advertising is dead. Long live traditional advertising
29/11/2010

It seems to be the fashion these days – at business breakfast meetings and the like – for some self-appointed marketing guru to stand up and announce that traditional advertising is dead, and that new media is the gold paved path to fame and fortune, the road map to which is handily outlined in his new self-help, self-published book, a signed copy of which may be obtained then and there.

The missionary zeal is touching, but you have to bear in mind that many of these gurus are not old enough to remember the burst of the original dot-com bubble, and those that were have clearly not been chastened by it.

As I’ve stressed before in this blog, new media is something that we at Simpsons have whole-heartedly embraced, and are sufficiently expert in to offer relevant advice and support. But it can no more survive without traditional publicity than traditional publicity can survive without it.

If you want proof that traditional advertising is alive and kicking, consider the following.

• SpecSavers current Mr Men campaign is part of the company’s £42 million spend on television, press and point of sale advertising.

• Santander’s current Lego campaign is part of its £35 million spend on television, press and point of sale advertising.

• Virgin Media have just launched a campaign using TV and radio, posters and press ads to highlight the benefits of its ‘super speedy broadband’.

Clearly none of them believe that traditional advertising is dead, and Virgin’s marketing strategy is particularly telling. Even new media pioneers recognise the value of tried and tested methods.

You might object that TV advertising with astronomical budgets is not typical – especially when built around popular programming events like the X-Factor – and is out of the range of everyday advertisers like independent retailers or professional practices.

Fair comment. But if you’re relying entirely on new media, don’t forget that the infinity of hyperspace is a big place to get lost in, and getting potential clients to log onto your website is a sophisticated marketing exercise in itself. In addition to SEO and Google-rigging, it is often best aided by a few traditional signposts in the press, outdoor media or targeted mail shots.

Then again, media selection is another vital and often under-utilised skill in targeting potential customers: a viral campaign may be great for the latest Beyonce album, but the Daily Telegraph might be better for advertising a Stannah Stairlift.

Either way, we at Simpsons will help you get the best o both worlds!