I recently spent a pleasant afternoon with an entrepreneurial team here in the New York’s Hudson Valley. They are about to launch a revolutionary health care practice. As in the past, I found myself talking about how important it is to use a variety of media vehicles tuned to audience segments and buying habits.
I heard myself imploring this team. “You cannot rely on publicity alone! You need to have a mix that will reach your prospective patients, touch what they’re interested in, and do this over time.
The same day, in a story about two recent research reports, eMarketer newsletter said essentially the same thing. The newsletter covers Vertis-commissioned “Retail 2008: Media” study, conducted by Marshall Marketing & Communications. It also covers the BIGresearch study the media that influence purchases.
“Depending on who is being targeted, when, and at which stage of the consumer buying process, a range of media could be considered most effective. The popularity and influence of different media can also change over time. A few recent studies illustrate this point.”
Continues eMarketer “…it is easy to lapse into complacency when considering the best media for a campaign. Given that the ‘best media’ change both over time and depending on the types of goods being marketed, it is important to keep current on those media.”
This is sound advice, whether you’re working with top-tier ad and communications budgets or if you’re an entrepreneur planning to bootstrap your new big idea.
That means selecting among print, radio, television, Web 2.0, direct, outdoor, event marketing as well as other vehicles. I fact it’s a lot like what I told the team with which I was meeting. Indeed, it was a great conversation.
“So what you want to do is, in a nutshell, ‘ Get ready, aim, and fire using strategically selected media, I said triumphantly.
“We just want to fire,” said the host.
Must be why this message of using a range of media gets repeated so often.
