The incredible gap between companies and consumers

You have to go where your consumers are: this is the point of Marketing. So, what do you think companies are doing? Are they investing in advertising on most popular media? Are they really grabbing the numbers? Now I’m gonna give you more numbers and you’re gonna be really surprised!

Consumers’ Media Consumption Vs. Advertising Investments

You will laugh, but this is the reality!

• Online: 40% consumption vs. 2% advertising investments
• TV: 25% consumption vs. 45% advertising investments
• Newspapers: 6% consumption vs. 41% advertising investments
• Magazines: 7% consumption vs. 7% advertising investments
• Radio: 9% consumption vs. 5% advertising investments
• Mobile: 14% consumption vs. 0% advertising investments

Most of the people consume media online or read it more than TV, newspapers, magazines, radio and mobile, but companies are still investing a little bit into digital. And they still invest mostly into TV and magazines, because the mentality of the old school of marketing people is… old school!

Small companies are smarter and they invest most of the budget online, but the biggest money spenders are still spending on TV. Obviously if I am a small company and I have a 5.000 Dirham a month, I cannot even go to TV. But the big companies, with big budget, they spend most of it in TV and newspapers.

TV Centric Age Has Gone!

We come from the age where they say: “Ah, whatever they say in TV is true.” Why? “Because they don’t lie to us. There are regulatory entities, checking and regulating what they say on TV. It has to be true. They cannot lie to us.

Now consumers are more and more clever!

We Are In The Internet Centric Age

So, on the TV, they can tell you: “Oh, this magic cream is so amazing that you put it in your face and you look 20 years younger…!” But now, before purchasing, you Google it and you check about the magic cream and when on a forum they say “Don’t buy the magic cream, because if you’re ugly you remain ugly!”, then what you do? You don’t buy the magic cream.

50% of people search on Google before purchasing, and in some countries and some product the percentage is 85%. So, if you commit someone to buy your product right now, but if he just full out his smartphone you’re in trouble. He’s going to search on Google, YouTube, forum, reviews and so on.

If you don’t care reputation online,your perception online, your digital marketing,you risk to go bankrupt.

In the USA there’s an App that came out many years ago, called Google Goggles, an image recognition mobile app developed by Google. It is used for searches based on pictures taken by handheld devices. For example, taking a picture of a famous landmark searches for information about it, or taking a picture of a product’s barcode searches for information on the product. And you can see the reviews.

So, you could see people in the supermarket, playing with this App, reading reviews about products and changing their choice: “No, this tomato sauce is not good, I will buy this one.”

Where Are You Investing Your Money?

Now ask yourself: Am I focused on the right place, where people are and spend their time? My company is investing in the most consumed media? I am using a correct and effective Digital Marketing strategy?

If your answer is “No” or “Mmmhhh” or “I have to verify”, you have a really good reason to continue reading my articles and follow my blog!