Beyond Online -- A Well Rounded Campaign Still Wins the Game

Mailers flood our mail boxes broadcasting holiday sales—and we still have mailboxes! Theater movie sales are up, brides mail printed invitations, and we send snail mail greeting cards because online versions just don't feel the same. People still respond to traditional tactics because they work. And now that they are more unique, they have a peculiar allure.

Increasingly, as more people grow tired of sitting at a computer and having to work for it, there is a renewed appreciation for the simplicity of a colorful postcard announcing what, how, and where to find the fabulous sale. It's easy to be out the door in five minutes without sitting at a computer first to read more about it, download the coupon, print it off and then find directions. It's refreshingly easy, and the more people start to demand easy, "old school" marketing tactics will certainly return. Lately we have noticed advertisements in magazines and commercials that don't direct me to a website for more information. Didn't we just give them 30 seconds of our time? We are busy and shouldn't have to expend more effort, time, and money to learn more on our own. The easier, the better.

On behalf of real people everywhere, complement your online offerings and you'll differentiate yourself from competitors who are proud to be paperless or who have saved money by cutting out all but web-based promotion. Now is the best time to embrace comprehensive multi-media (paper is a medium) campaigns.

Whether you have your own family business or head up the marketing department of a larger company, the ideas below can reach your audience in engaging ways. There is no reinventing the wheel here, just remembering what works.

• Create an innovative corporate video to play in your reception area
• Have an audio loop entertain (educate!) in the elevator
• Place beautiful print pieces on tables in your lobby
• Develop a quarterly magazine that is mailed to homes
• Print case studies as well as post them online for easing reading during lunch
• Place table tents in break rooms – it's like not being able to stop reading the cereal box
• Send colorful, clever post cards
• Offer easy to read and easy to redeem coupons
• Smile at potential customers from the side of a bus
• Sponsor your high school reunion or child's school musical for ad space in the program
• Give company t-shirts and hats to friends
• Pass out bumper stickers
• Participate in charity events as a group, wearing your corporate logo
• Advertise in magazines your target audience will never give up – Architectural Digest readers would rather die than miss an issue so if that's your marketing segment, spend the money

Giving people something to hold in their hands is not over-rated. Opening an envelope is like opening a present these days – it's vastly different than clicking a link. And it's hard to beat physical interactions.

It's more important than ever to find an agency that thinks broadly and can help you be innovative in many ways, beyond the Web. This will enhance your brand and heighten consumer curiosity, increasing your Web traffic in turn. Don't forget to use all the media in "multi-media". It just might be the winning combination you are looking for.