Does Traditional Media Still Work? Part 3

Does traditional media still work?

More experts weigh in on this topic. Read their interesting and informative take on my question in three Marketing Moxie blog posts.

For years we've been told that traditional media such as network television, newspapers, radio, and yellow pages are not very relevant in reaching people anymore. The marketing community is abuzz about trends it finds sexier such as social networking, click on ads, viral marketing, experiential marketing, etc.

Yet presidential candidate Barack Obama, who is known for using the Internet to build his campaign, is spending several million dollars for a half hour slot on prime time, network television. From a marketing, PR and advertising perspective, what do you think of that?

Gary Selvaggio, Award Winning Creative Director & Writer: CGI & Live Action said:
Unlike Mazda or General Mills or UltraSlim, Obama's got to reach a much broader demographic. He has tailored some ads in the past, to reach daytime TV audiences or sports viewers but the half hour buy serves to speak to a wider audience.


Mary Fletcher Jones, Creative Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations said:
I'm not a political supporter of either candidate, but I believe Obama made a wise marketing decision in using both television and social media campaigns.
I think traditional and social media often work well together. For example, you can use a print ad campaign in magazines and newspapers to drive traffic to a website. Social media usually needs a push from traditional media to get started. In terms of traditional media, the impact of cable and network television should not to be dismissed, and while radio ad revenues are declining, there is still value in the reach of radio advertising. I agree that you shouldn't waste money on the yellow pages.
The one thing you did not mention is email marketing, which has the highest ROI of all.


Jacqueline Wolven, Small Business Marketing & PR said:
As an Arkansas resident who actually watches Swing State TV from Missouri I will tell you that he has purchased prime spots to reach middle class voters. He needs a demographic that still gets their news from traditional media. In fact, he is approaching his campaign in several ways by targeting different generations.
It is valuable to point out that his brilliance is that he is a community organizer - he understands that it is person to person that changes get made. It is our personal stories and what we share with our friends and neighbors. By purchasing media spots to target a demographic that gets their stories in that manner he is further giving proof to that idea - he is giving them the tools to share his story. Brilliant.

Richard Kelleher, World’s first (used to be only) marketing sociologist said:
Does traditional media still work? You betcha. Where'd you learn about Sarah Palin, 9-11? If you depended upon Web 2.0, you'd have no knowledge of these.
Newspapers appear to be dead, but television, radio and Web news sites (Wall Street Journal, radio stations and newspapers online, etc.). You won't be making life decisions off what you learn on Twitter, MySpace or Face book. You're going to use traditional media. That's where you learned about government bailout.

Sharon Kraun, Public Relations and Marketing Consultant said:
When television first appeared, many said newspapers would die. What happened was a shift and adaption. While the medium is different, the effects it has will be the same. The media all have an audience. To make them effective marketing tools, we need to understand their strongpoints and utilize their strengths. Our marketplace is more fractured - there's not a handful of radio stations, but thousands with satellite radio: not a handful of television options, but hundreds with cable and satellite: not just a few local websites, but millions of sites, blogs, and social networks. What works? Who is your audience? What is your message? How / what is the best way to reach that audience in a way that is meaningful and will be receptive to that target audience. Each of these media does and will continue to work. Perhaps not in the same way as 5 years, 10 years or even 20 years ago. But each has a place. Barack Obama's team found a unique and impactful way to spark debate and create a dialog between the candidate and consumer. But that audiece is only one of a series of demographics with the potential to vote. Adding in a television mix doesn't mean social media didn't work. It's simply an extension of a marketing mix - a smart move if you ask me. And those who want to reach an older demographic may look to print to continue the outreach.
The cool thing is that we have so many different options. The challenge is creating the right mix for our clients. One size - one medium - doesn't fit all.

Karin's note: A special thank you to all who responded. Remember, your comments are always welcome!