Reviving traditional media for performance advertising in the digital age
Doug Clark
Empowering retail brands to measure media impact against in-store sales by leveraging digital coupons.
In an era dominated by digital marketing, traditional media, such as print, out-of-home (OOH), and television, are often relegated (or elevated, depending on your viewpoint) to campaigns focused on reach, frequency, and brand awareness. However, there’s an evolving opportunity for brands to rethink how they use these platforms, especially for performance advertising goals like conversions and measurable ROI.
While it’s true that digital platforms offer instant feedback through impressions, clicks, and other engagement metrics, the vast reach and emotional resonance of traditional media still holds untapped potential for driving performance outcomes. The convergence of traditional media with digital technology, specifically through tools like QR codes, has opened up new avenues for brands to turn awareness campaigns into measurable, actionable results.
So, let’s collapse the purchase funnel!?
The case for traditional media in performance advertising
Traditional media has always dabbled in performance advertising - for example DRTV and print classifieds - but traditional media’s strength lies in its ability to create high-impact, broad-reaching messages. With the right creative execution, a single TV commercial or billboard can generate massive brand recall. However, this impact doesn't have to stop at recall or awareness. By integrating QR codes, brands can guide consumers seamlessly from offline media to digital experiences, where they can take actions like redeeming offers, signing up for newsletters, or exploring products in more detail.
For instance, a well-placed print ad in a popular magazine, coupled with a strategically designed QR code, can drive consumers to digital couponing apps. From here, tracking can begin, linking the exposure to the ad directly to an in-store or e-commerce purchase. This bridge between offline engagement and digital conversion is a game-changer for brands focused on performance advertising and/or driving their in-store rate of sale.?
QR Codes: The bridge to measure traditional media effectiveness
QR codes are enjoying a renaissance in the post-pandemic world. They're now familiar to most consumers and provide an easy way to track the effectiveness of traditional media campaigns. Here’s how they can power performance advertising goals:
1. Direct Consumer Interaction: QR codes can turn a passive media experience into an active one. A user who scans a QR code from a TV commercial or OOH billboard is immediately transported to an interactive platform, be it a digital coupon, a product landing page, or an app download. This is ever more true in a world of second screening when it comes to TV viewership.
2. Measurable Conversions: By integrating QR codes that lead to digital couponing apps or promotional offers, brands can track consumer behaviour. This enables marketers to measure how many people who saw the traditional ad actually took the next step and made a purchase or redeemed a coupon.
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3. Attribution and ROI Tracking: The digital trail left by a scanned QR code enables accurate attribution, linking the traditional media exposure directly to a sale or conversion. This closes the loop between offline awareness and online actions, giving marketers clearer insights into the performance of their traditional media investments.
4. Amplifying In-Store Purchases: In the FMCG sector, where the link between media exposure and in-store purchases is crucial, QR codes can directly connect customers to digital coupons that they redeem in physical stores. This offers brands an invaluable tool to drive foot traffic and increase in-store sales while maintaining a clear performance metric.
Why brands should care
Brands that rely solely on digital channels for performance advertising are missing out on the undeniable power of traditional media. By combining the emotional and broad-reaching capabilities of TV, print, and OOH with the precision and measurability of digital tools like QR codes, brands can maximise both awareness and performance.
I mentioned in my previous post a couple of prime examples of how traditional media is evolving to capture more directly attributable metrics of their media. It's a step in the right direction for media owners to track performance metrics such as queries, web traffic, social media engagement, but the biggest challenge will always be conversion metrics.
For industries like FMCG, where competition is fierce and in-store sales are key, this strategy offers a unique way to stand out. Traditional media provides the scale, while digital tools provide the track ability. Together, they offer an unbeatable combination for brands looking to achieve both branding and performance goals simultaneously.
In summary, brands need to rethink their approach to traditional media, not just as a tool for awareness but as a powerful driver of measurable results. Traditional media also need to rethink their product offering, shoppable ads can harness the full potential of QR codes and digital integrations that can help to build and enrich 1st party data capabilities for both brands and media owners.
Traditional media can serve as a critical component of performance marketing strategies, bringing the best of both worlds into play.