New channels have only created new paths to reach the consumer and these paths – online and offline- must work together to achieve the marketing objective. The growth of digital is not the death knell of traditional channels. New channels have created new marketing paths

Radio still remains the best medium to reach commuters and local audiences. Being featured somewhere in cyberspace, simply does not have the same kind of cache’. A reputable newspaper or magazine lends gravitas to the brands that are advertised in the publication. The fact is that the credibility of print cannot be replicated in the digital space. Print is far from dead, contrary to new-age proclamations.

Television continues to deliver unparalleled reach, scale and brand visibility. In fact, 89% of marketing spends are apportioned to offline channels (television, radio, print, OOH/POS, direct mail), where as online spends account for 11% of the total budget. Over 60% of budget allocation is directed to these channels. But these channels continue to garner the lion’s share of the marketing budget. True, television, print and outdoor are no longer the exalted triad of marketing. The marketing challenge today, is harnessing myriad channels that abound with multi-pronged strategies and limited budgets. The proliferation of channels – television, radio, print, digital – has affected market fragmentation, and thereby, complicated the marketing task.

Digital is a part of the marketing pantheonĮffective as digital marketing is, it is but one spoke in the marketing wheel. Some experts even made the case for why businesses should invest only in digital marketing.Īlas, reality is seldom so straightforward. Numerous studies and surveys were published, ‘proving’ the superiority of online over offline marketing channels. The pundits decreed it the dawn of a new era and the demise of traditional marketing. Marketers jumped aboard the digital gravy-train, persuaded by its facility for real-time customer engagement and analytics. The Internet challenged that paradigm and opened a ‘new frontier’ in marketing. Television, print, outdoor, were once regarded as the triumvirate of marketing – predominant media channels that transmitted the brand to the public at large.

Internet marketing activities