The internet and tech development have changed the landscape of conducting advertisement and promotion of your business. Social and digital media platforms are highly popular than the old school market channels, but their significance hasn’t grown old. Both traditional and digital media platforms and channels have shaped the minds and behaviors of customers. Today, we’ll discuss what is traditional marketing; its various channels & methods, advantages, disadvantages, and examples.
What is Traditional Marketing?
Traditional marketing comprises employing offline media channels to satisfy the needs of target customers and earning profit and revenue in the meantime. In short, we can say traditional marketing focuses on satisfying and meeting the needs, wants, and wishes of customers through market channels that were prevalent before online media.
It consists of meeting the 4Ps of the marketing mix without employing digital and social media channels. The 4Ps of traditional media channels are as follows;
- Product: a physical and tangible product focuses on meeting the needs and wants of customers like a washing machine, and that is not online
- Price: the value of the product that the customers are willing to pay in cash, and not the online payment
- Place Distribution: a physical place of distribution where you reach out to your customers like a store
- Promotion: advertising the product by using offline channels like newspapers, radio, TV, etc
The traditional market employs various types of advertising and promotional strategies. It follows the most popular type of advertisement channels that customers see every day.
Importance of Traditional Marketing
In the era of digital and social media platforms, traditionals market channels still play a significant role. It is no doubt digital media platforms have almost conquered the world, but marketers and advertisers can’t avoid traditionals channels all at once for the promotion of their business like newspapers, radio, and TV.
There are some particular regions, places, and niches where digital media doesn’t work even today. Many villages and rural areas don’t have the access to the internet. Sometimes, people only know the traditionals advertising methods that they see in their daily routine life.
Most importantly, traditionals advertising also plays a significant role in approaching local customers; because they’re more likely to trust the traditional method rather than some unknown online platform. Every costly and complicated product item employs traditionals advertising media because it is more effective than digital media.
Channels & Methods of Traditional Marketing
Some of the main traditional marketing channels that businesses and companies are still using are as follows;
Broadcasting
It is the method of sending programs and information through the medium of TV and radio. It allows businesses to approach the mass audience easily and quickly by employing broadcasting mediums like radio and TV ads to spread brand awareness.
However, TV helps marketers and advertisers to run compelling commercials and advertisements; because the visual presentation of the product better shows the functionality of the product. Radio broadcasting also helps you to reach the mass audience in the most effective and efficient way.
OOH Marketing
Out-of-home (OOH) marketing is a form of advertising approach where you connect with your target customer market outside of their businesses and homes. Usually, it follows the visual advertisement media; it depends highly on the images rather than word-of-mouth advertising. Along with the signs, billboards, and street art on the walls, bus shelters, and benches, it also comprises advertising in the cinemas, shopping malls, and stadiums.
Direct Mail
It is the process of sending commercial advertising material to customers through postal mail. There are various forms of direct mail advertising like flyers, catalogs, postcards, letters, brochures, and other hard copies and printed material to spread brand awareness. However, it is a great way to generate leads and amplify the profitability of your company.
Print Media
Print media consists of advertisements for your product and service through books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. Printed ads allow businesses and companies to approach the mass audience whether they have got interested in your product or not. However, they target a specific segment of the customer market like fashion lovers, women, and magazine readers.
Telemarketing
Businesses and companies recruit sales representatives to make telephone calls the promotion of their products and services. Telemarketing also goes by the name of cold calling. However, a cold call is when you approach, contact, and convince the ideal potential customers over a telephone call. Companies use it for various purposes like generating leads, collecting information, and sales.
Advantages of Traditional Marketing
Some of the main advantages of traditional marketing are as follows;
Brand Exposure
Traditionals advertising campaigns have the capability to amplify the brand recall rate among the target customers market. It develops recognition and familiarity with the company’s products, values, and mission.
Credibility
Customers develop a link between traditionals advertisement campaigns with the big budget of the company. It shows the financial stability, growth potential, and longevity of the company. Customers would like to buy from those brands that exhibit such traits.
Reusable Material
Businesses and companies run the same particular advertisement on the TV and radio repetitively every year during the certain holiday season. Along with the promotion of their products and business, it allows them to save their time, resources, and money.
Audience Growth
Media channels like billboards, radio, and TV have the capability to approach the mass audience in new geographic areas. Other methods like print ads, flyers, and direct mailing also help you to target customers in a particular geographic area.
Disadvantages of Traditional Marketing
Some of the main disadvantages of traditional marketing are as follows;
Not Adaptable
Printed ads and recording of TV commercials are very costly and time-consuming methods. Once you have developed and launched the ad, you can’t update the ad or make any specific changes to it.
Lacking Segmentation
If your product is niche-focused, then traditionals advertising is the right media for your business. It is because it sends one message to the general audience regardless of their interest or needs. You can’t precisely target the specific segment of the target customer market.
No KPIs
After launching the advertising campaign, the traditionals advertising approach doesn’t offer you any specific key performance indicators to analyze your performance. The goals and objectives you were planning to achieve through this medium, there is no way of knowing your performance.
Higher Cost
The cost of running the advertisement campaign on TV and radio is very high. You can save the production cost by reusing the commercial, but you can’t save the running and printing costs.
Examples of Traditional Marketing
TV Commercial of Wendy’s – Where is the Beef?
Conclusion: What is Traditional Marketing? Channels, Pros & Cons, Examples
After an in-depth study of what is traditional marketing; various channels, advantages, disadvantages, and examples; we have realized that traditional advertising is highly beneficial for some businesses. If you’re planning to use this approach, then you should keep in mind the abovementioned guidelines.
Ahsan Ali Shaw is an accomplished Business Writer, Analyst, and Public Speaker. Other than that, he’s a fun loving person.
