Does Traditional Marketing Still Have a Place in 2023?

There is a generation today that will hardly notice traditional forms of advertising. Radio adverts are possibly never heard by some, TV adverts aren’t noticed because streaming has taken over, and newspaper adverts are not seen due to the news being consumed digitally.

And yet, traditional advertising continues, albeit as a small part of an overall marketing budget. In 2022, around $287 billion was spent on advertising in the US alone. A large part of this would have gone on digital marketing campaigns and advertising through social media and other platforms.

So, why if more than 5 billion of the world’s population spends time online does traditional marketing persist, and will 2023 be the year it finally disappears?

Is digital the only real form of marketing now?

Full-service agencies such as Blend Mode Digital put great emphasis on combining SEO with web development, and audience growth. As part of a digital marketing campaign, this can help create a long-term strategy for any modern business.

But, to say that digital marketing is the only way to go could be to miss out on some other benefits. Traditional marketing was for decades, if not centuries, the only way to advertise a business or a product. To completely dismiss this form of marketing would be to ignore some of the greatest campaigns ever made.

Why is digital marketing more popular now?

The internet and social media have given marketers an easy way to reach a vast worldwide audience without necessarily breaking the bank.

Digital marketing can be very cost-effective and efficient. In some instances, reaching an audience can be free by utilizing the power of social media. Local SEO can be used to build a strong presence within a business’s own neighborhood. And audiences can be targeted.

Digital advertising is also unique in that it can take a consumer a second to go from viewing an ad to checking out. Retention is all-important, and the average person who views a newspaper advert will forget it within minutes. A call to action can take a consumer straight to the landing page and increase the chances of conversion.

There are other benefits of digital advertising including the use of video content, which keep users online longer. Generally, viewers will retain 95% of video content information compared to just 15% of written content.

Why could traditional marketing still have a place in 2023?

The benefits above make it hard to believe that there is any point in using traditional advertising now. But, this doesn’t tell the whole story.

The internet is cluttered with advertising and much of it is a turn-off. Internet users have voted video ads as highly annoying. 55% of users report that even silent video ad content is irritating. And 90% of internet users will skip adverts that appear ahead of video content.

Due to this, and some other faults with digital marketing, many marketers are looking to increase budgets for traditional channels in 2023.

Where does traditional marketing beat digital?

Influencers have added a new level of trust that helps to link brands to consumers, but traditional advertising has often been seen as more trustworthy than digital content.

One study shows that the 5 most trusted forms of advertising are all from traditional channels. Print advertising was trusted by more respondents (82%) than any other form.

Then there is credibility. Digital advertising fraud is expected to account for $81 billion in 2022. This is a rise of 15% from the previous year. The effectiveness of digital marketing is being questioned by many as the statistics are often supplied by the very platforms that take payment for advertising.

How can traditional marketing be used instead of digital?

B2C companies are leading the way in looking at traditional marketing in 2023. It has been estimated from research that there will be a rise of up to 11.7% in traditional advertising over the next year.

There are some areas that digital marketing cannot reach where traditional advertising comes into its own.

Guerilla marketing campaigns

Innovative ideas have been used by companies such as Nike to place eye-catching installations in public areas.

Nostalgia and familiarity

Guinness has been responsible for some of the most effective advertising in recent decades, and they returned to the TV during the pandemic. As lockdowns ended, Guinness used TV adverts to welcome people back to restaurants and public houses.

Fashion magazines

While circulation has fallen, there is still no comparison between glossy centerfolds for fashion houses and digital online images.

In-store shopping experiences

The internet isn’t tactile. In-store advertising and retail experiences can impress and draw customers in a way that even the best online advert cannot.

Summary

Traditional marketing budgets have indeed been in decline in recent years, but it looks as if that may be changing. It is highly unlikely that traditional marketing will ever overtake digital budgets again, but there is a place for print and TV adverts still.

What is likely to happen is that traditional advertising will become more innovative, and marketers will find ways to engage with audiences more effectively this way. This may be in-store or in public areas, but don’t be surprised to see advertising installations aplenty in 2023.