With the explosion of online, mobile and other forms of digital advertising – alongside the boom in digital devices – it can be hard to see where more traditional marketing might have a place. However, rather than be overtaken by online marketing, traditional advertising is seeing a resurgence. Let us take a look at why the appeal of traditional advertising methods will always remain.
They Are Unobtrusive
Traditional advertising is often seen in newspapers, magazines, roadside advertising and on television. These are areas where people are usually choosing to see them, so they are unobtrusive. However, by contrast, online ads such as popups are some of the most hated forms of advertising. This is because they are interrupting the user’s experience and so are often ignored. This can have the opposite effect on your advertising goals.
People Respond to Them
Recent surveys have suggested that people will actively watch ads running on television if they like the brand. The same applies to outside advertising and other traditional forms of marketing. This popularity with traditional ads is in contrast to online and digital forms of advertising. In a Hubspot survey, 64% of people polled said they use online ad-blocking software because the ads are annoying or intrusive.
Concerns Over Online Security
There have been instances in the past where online ads such as pop-up ads have been used to bypass the security of people’s computers. While the vast majority of online advertising is safe, this small percentage has caused users to become wary of online ads and as a result, they are choosing not to watch them. Traditional advertising doesn’t have such issues, so they are generally trusted more as a result.
Trusted by the Older Generation
With online advertising only becoming big business in the past few years, there are many people who are used to the more traditional forms of advertising. Millennials and Gen Z have grown up with technology and online advertising, so they are used to seeing it and are influenced more by it. In contrast, older customers are used to seeing outside advertising such as billboards and displays. Because they are familiar, they are often trusted, especially when used by a well-known brand.
They Can Still Target Certain Demographics
Some businesses see traditional advertising as not being able to target certain groups of people as well as online advertising. However, with recent advances in technology, there are now more ways than ever for traditional ads to reach their intended target audience. Traditional outdoor displays are now able to show digital images of the ads rather than paper copies. This means that they can be changed to meet the needs of the ad. As an example, the ad can change at certain times of the day or in certain weather to take advantage of the situation.
Final Thoughts
Despite online and digital advertising consistently growing over the past decade or so, the more traditional forms of marketing are still going strong – and, in some cases, are even growing themselves. This shows that there is still a place for traditional advertising, so companies need to understand how and when to use them.
