Retail Marketing: Where Traditional & Digital Media Converge

Retail marketing plans increasingly lean on a foundation of digital platforms and tactics.

So would it surprise you to know that Integrity is still leveraging traditional media for many of our retail clients?

Our teams are known for providing technology-driven services with a focus on creating meaningful user experiences across digital properties. But we consistently include television, radio, direct mail and other “old media” tactics in our retail marketing strategies. 

Really? A Digital Firm is Promoting Traditional Media?

Yes. Because what Integrity focuses on is not only what’s new, but what works best.

Before we make the case for traditional media, let’s quickly discuss why digital is considered the de facto method for present-day marketers.

In many cases digital platforms are an ideal entry point for marketing your retail business and products. 

• Digital ad budgets are a fraction of traditional media buys
• You can target your ads towards a more specific customer type
• Automated tracking allows you to pivot a campaign when performance is low or scale a campaign when performance is high
• Retargeting programs allow you to serve content and ads to  searchers who have already visited your website and social pages, increasing the likelihood of brand recall 

For digital marketing campaigns you also aren’t just relying on paid search ads. Digital can include your website, your blog, a custom app, your social media presence, online video, SMS messaging, and the gold standard— email marketing. 

Given the increase in platform tutorials and online academies for digital marketing it’s also a welcoming environment for new marketers to jump in and DIY their digital plans, using templates and best practices as a guide. 

Everyone Has Access to Digital Marketing.

What we do with that access is what matters.

Integrity is in a unique position; alongside digital marketers our team includes media buyers, and retail advertising veterans. Because we have skills across all specialties, no tactic is automatically ruled in our out when creating a retail marketing plan for our clients.

Having the ability to execute on a diverse digital plan while integrating traditional media is what allows us to push our clients beyond their competitors.

While other agencies will recommend what they do best, Integrity is able to recommend what will work best — from TV ads to Google ads, nothing is off the table.

We’re starting with a full stack.

Careful consideration of our clients’ budget, business goals and our marketing objectives underlie every recommendation we make, and what we know from experience is that integrated campaigns — ones that follow a consumer through their entire journey, at every touchpoint — far outperform single-channel programs. Which brings us to our next point ...

It’s Unlikely, If Not Impossible, to Win Customers With a Single Touchpoint. 

Today’s bias against “old media” in favor of all digital ignores worthwhile opportunities for multi-channel touchpoints. Don’t underestimate the power of traditional marketing methods — while they’re not as effective on their own anymore, they can work magically in tandem with digital marketing efforts.

Using traditional and digital channels together increases the likelihood that a potential customer will:

• See your marketing
• Remember your brand or product
• Think of you when they’re ready to make a purchase

When a marketing team can deliver a cohesive and thoughtful experience across platforms, both digital and traditional, both the client and the consumer win. 

Traditional media has the added benefit of increasing the trust of a brand because the barrier to entry is high. 

Would Traditional Media Work for Your Retail Business?

If you have a larger marketing budget, local television and radio are viable options and especially successful when used for a promotional campaign. In fact, when rating points are converted to draw a comparison with digital impressions, broadcast is a bargain.

Added benefit: you’ll be playing in a less crowded field.

The low barrier to entry for a digital campaign translates to more competitors making an appearance when potential customers go searching for products. 

Considering print? While newspaper advertising isn’t what it used to be, direct mailers continue to work for both brick and mortar and eCommerce retailers.  

In fact, promoting private sales through direct mailers has proven to be a cost-effective way to reach in-store shoppers who are predisposed to making “big ticket” purchases. 

Just remember, to truly be successful your traditional media buys and creative need to align with your digital marketing strategy.

Traditional + Digital = Your Ideal Retail Marketing Plan. 

Traditional media does not work when it stands alone. Any successful marketing program considers consumer behavior when planning placement across traditional and digital channels. This is what we know:

• If a potential customer sees your TV ad and has interest their next logical move is to search for your business or product online
• If a potential customer receives and has interest in your direct mailer their next logical move is to search for your business or product online
• If a potential customer gets a word-of-mouth recommendation for your store their next logical move is to search for your business or product online 

They might go through a search engine, they might go straight to social media, they might search for an app. It doesn’t matter the platform, their going to leveraging the convenience of digital. It’s a given.

What that traditional media has done is create true intent for the search. That customer is looking for you. 

Ready to Build Your Retail Marketing Strategy?

The Integrity crash course is as follows:consider traditional, plan for digital and integrate like you mean it. 

If you’re looking for a partner to assist you in navigating a traditional media plan,   formulating a digital marketing strategy, or both, Integrity is here to help.

We are a full-service agency so our team can walk you through strategy, execute a complete plan across platforms, design all assets, and measure and report on success.

Get in touch. Let’s see what we can build together.