The Winner is Obvious, Right?

Advertising versus direct marketing.
Broadcast versus targeted marketing.
Above-the-line versus below-the-line media.
Today Traditional versus social media.

These debates seem to come and go as philosophical winds change or technology advances or gradual shifts in culture occur. The winner, we always find, is not one media type or the other, but integrated marketing. Ugh. The term is so old and overused it’s embarrassing to type.

Inherently flawed, these debates are mired in talk about tactics instead of the foundational elements of a marketing strategy: goals and audience. The discussion should focus on finding the right media mix that delivers on the stated strategic objectives and connects with the target audience; regardless of medium. The media type is simply a means to an end.

The challenge for marketers is not only to learn how to motivate certain audiences, but with today’s multitude of media types, understand how your target segments use and perceive each medium. By compiling these best practices, we, as marketers, are able to put together the proper mix of media (and messages that fit the medium) to meet established goals.