Online advertising is the basis of effective marketing activities. But has it completely displaced offline operations?
The web has drastically changed the media market situation, forcing a new approach to advertising. New forms of communication and promotion keep on appearing, just to mention push notifications, product seeding, trendsetting or evangelist marketing.
Advantages and disadvantages of online and offline advertising
The internet has allowed marketers to spread their wings, implement very creative forms of advertising, reach potential customers all over the world. Undoubtedly, the main advantage of online advertising is lack of geographical restrictions. By the very publishing of a website, online store or transaction platform the company becomes global in nature.
Moreover, online advertising is marked by considerable freedom regarding its form – we can use graphics, text, video, sound and application to present our product. Over the past few years innovative tools, forms of promotion and communication, such as push notifications, influencer marketing or marketing automation have gained importance. Push notifications are now recognised as successors of newsletters.
Online advertising offers simple benefits compared with traditional media: simplicity and promptness of recipient reaching the information appealing to them. A consumer driven by an impulse may buy an interesting product even in a couple of seconds. This doesn’t mean that online adverts have completely displaced offline ones. However, in this case one should try and use a considerable dose of creativity to reach out to a significant proportion of recipients.
One of the most serious disadvantages of offline advertising (e.g. in an urban space) is lack of possibility of detailed targeting; therefore, they play a rather reach-related and brand-related role. Their aim is to build recognition, brand popularity and maintain the company image. However, radio and television advertising acts on senses – we easily remember slogans or songs.
Why is offline advertising a good complement to online ads?
The process of creating online advertising strategies differs depending on the fact whether a given brand will be a purely internet-based entity or reflection of traditional brand on the web. A strategy that is frequently noticed is a merger of traditional and online business, in which the both areas of operations support each other. However, creating a brand online is much more than just transferring popular business models to the web. It should be borne in mind that the internet is governed by its own rules; hence, it’s necessary to choose the right strategy for each communication ground. A strategy that is more often seen involves promotion of a product associated with the traditional market, also online. It is possible to say that the internet has become the virtual world existing parallel to the real one.
How to creatively merge offline and online advertising?
Besides traditional and interactive media, non-standard media are a relatively new phenomenon in advertising. The name is related to placing ads in non-standard environment, which makes wider public pay attention to the site. Their real power is connected with the ability to surprise consumers, reaching out to them with a message when they don’t expect that. The message cannot be ignored, owing to which it is remembered better. There are many objects, sites or items which can be included in the non-standard media realm: pavements, shopping bags, bus components, shopping trolleys, building facades. One of interesting examples is offline teaser advertising which should intrigue recipients and awake their interest. If properly prepared, internet users will search on their own for information on message boards or in social media.
