Is Newer Better?

Our guest blogger this week is Olivia Tyson. Olivia is finishing up her Sophomore year at the University of Cincinnati where she is pursuing a major in Arts in Communication with a Minor in Digital Media. She is currently the Sales & Marketing intern at NaviStone and offers a fresh perspective on traditional and new marketing channels in play today.

Is Newer Better?

Oftentimes, we are deceived by what’s new. New means exciting, new means fresh, but does new always mean better?

Growing up, when I would express concern about the seemingly endless potential career choices of the future, my parents would calm my nerves by explaining that my future career may not even exist yet. They were right. As a second year pursuing digital communication, it’s crazy to think that professionals in my field are learning just as I am.

Following a newer career path, as I enrolled in marketing and communication courses, I expected to learn about the power in the new tools. Digital marketing, social media, email retargeting and other technological communication methods seemed obvious, but I was shocked to learn that these may not be the superior tools to exercise. Working toward a degree that is so heavily reliant on technology, I was almost taken aback to learn that these newer marketing strategies alone didn’t have the highest success rate.  

Following that insight, I wondered what use my degree would have if the traditional forms of communication were seemingly more effective. I’ve come to recognize that the solution to successful marketing may exist between the two. Through interactions at NaviStone and my coursework at school, it’s become apparent that you must mix tactics, including both digital and direct marketing, to ensure your campaign’s foundation for success. In fact, many suggest that integrating the channels leave your efforts twice as likely to be effective (Heinz 2017).

As generations before me miss out on the digital perks of marketing, I fear that many “trendy” companies neglect to see the value in direct mail. Although I would never suggest abandoning digital marketing, the facts are in the data.

By adding direct mail to your marketing mix, you are enabling greater brand recall and a more meaningful relationship with your target audience. As companies are relying so heavily on digital tactics like social media and digital advertisements, they may be missing out on the effectiveness of traditional marketing. Pulling the two marketing channels together to foster an innovative approach is the task marketers face today. Instead of picking just one medium, perhaps digital materials can be utilized to progress the marketing process in a way that accentuates the effectiveness of traditional marketing.

Check out our apples-to-apples comparison on PPC advertising versus retargeted, personalized postcards. 

So, is newer better? Maybe better isn’t the right word. New technology aids discovery and effectiveness, but the magic is created when you can craft those features to your advantage. When the digital tools are used to drive site traffic, direct mail is here to land the conversion. Newer helps, but we can’t forget the power in tradition.