In her opening address this morning at the iMedia Brand Summit, Carole Walker, CEO of Integrity Marketing & Media LLC, spoke of what it means to practice "tradigital" marketing. That is, digital advertising that encompasses the tried and true elements of traditional marketing.
It is an interesting concept, to be sure. For it seems that, as much as digital has and will continue to change the way both consumers and marketers think, there are some fundamental rules to marketing that will never change. However, upon deeper contemplation, I came to realize that while the names of those rules may not have changed, the definitions most certainly have.
When I pondered the most basic elements of advertising, I realized that at its core, a marketing campaign must:
1. Evoke consumer trust in the brand
2. Elicit a need in the customer for the brand product
Marketers have used trust as a tactic for decades. We've all seen the old cigarette commercials: "Four out of five doctors recommend Camel Cigarettes!" Obviously, nowadays this type of advertising just wouldn't fly. Why? Because, thanks to the internet, consumers are armed with information. The second a brand is caught lying, cheating, or manipulating to gain consumer trust, the information spreads like wildfire on the internet and the brand is shamed. So, what does trust look like today? Consumers no longer trust perfection in brands, consumers trust sincerity. And today, sincerity comes in the form of communication.
Social media has become the great leveler -- consumers don't want to deal with monolithic and unreachable brands. Consumers want to know that when they have a question or a problem, the brand will be there to help. This is how digital has changed the definition of "trust."
"Need" is another marketing rule that has changed in the digital era. Traditional advertising schools teach marketers to create a problem for the consumer that only the brand can solve. For example: "Tired of paper towels that fall apart as you sop up spills? Shamwow absorbs 30 percent more liquid and won't fall apart on you!" While I love my Shamwow, I've never had a paper towel fall apart on me and I never considered it a problem before viewing the commercial. While many advertisers are still using this campaign tactic, savvy marketers know that it is far better to solve a real problem than to solve a fake one. That is why utility apps have proven so successful -- the Gibson guitar app with a built in tuner, the Clorox app that teaches consumers how to remove stains, and Zipcar and Zimride's carpool community app all provide a service for consumers -- offering real solutions for real problems.
So, while "trust" and "need" are still two very important terms in the advertising world, digital has forever changed the definitions of both.
"Tradigital" is the my new buzzword of the day.
Hey Jennifer, I love the term tradigital... very creative. I agree that the Internet and specifically social media are the great levelers. They level the playing field so now smaller players can compete with larger players on a more level playing field. I view marketing as the art of persuasion. And as you know, a crowd follows a crowd. That's one way social media opens doors for tradigital application. When someone sees their circle of friends buying something, they are more inclined to buy it as well.
I enjoyed reading your article and like Ryan, have stolen your buzzword, "tradigital." I am a digital media manager at a TV station where the the marriage of new and traditional media has obviously changed how our clients advertise and market their products. I think the trust principles you illustrate here are a perfect way to explain what a brand marketing strategy needs today to win the hearts of customers.
Thank you all for reading my blog. Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for the word "tradigital." I first heard it from Carole Walker at the iMedia Brand Summit this past week and thought it was absolutely brilliant -- it's nice to hear that others share my opinion. Cheers!