A Crash Course in Modern Multi-channel Marketing

Here at Heard Agency, it’s our job to stay up to date with what’s happening across all types of advertising channels – and to find new, integrated ways to use them. We asked our expert media planner Jess about the current status of traditional media, and how your brand can Change Conventions in these spaces.‍

TV

The Bad News:

Viewers are tuning out, big time. In just the last five years, there’s been a 25% decline in total audience numbers.

The Good News:

TV advertising is highly regulated. There’s no risk of your brand appearing near inappropriate or illegal content – unlike in the digital space, where there’s a backlash around brand safety. This is why television still accounts for over 50% of ad revenue in Australia.

Jess’ Changing Convention:

A number of companies now offer the extension TV Sync, which serves a display ad to your specified demographic within 2-5 minutes of your TVC (or a competitor’s TVC) airing in their area. This technology not only gives your brand higher recall with the audience, but also allows you to more accurately track leads and conversions and monitor your effectiveness in market.

Jess says, ‘By developing a highly engaging television commercial and extending it using TV Sync, you can go the extra mile in encouraging consumers to continue to second screen and actively engage with your brand from the comfort of their couches.’

Print

The Bad News:

Just like television, print readership continues to decline as quickly as you can load up your Twitter feed. Press and print companies, in a scramble to stay afloat, are turning their businesses digital.

The Good News:

Ever heard the saying, ‘Don’t believe what you read online’? In their need to stay relevant and post the first hot take, dime-a-dozen digital publishers are making obvious editorial mistakes – which cheapens their reputation and reader trustworthiness. Whereas the tangible nature of print gives the channel an enduring credibility and legitimacy.

Jess’ Changing Convention:

Extending your press campaigns into the digital space is a necessity nowadays, so making a campaign that incorporates the two requires research and a thought-out strategy. It’s important to be educated on which print and digital publications are considered respected, reliable and sincere by your customer base. Start by engaging with consumers when they are actively looking for updates on current affairs.‍‍

OOH (Out-of-Home)

The Bad News:

The transition to digital billboards and street furniture panels allow outdoor media owners to sell far more advertising space at the same site – basically, charging brands the same amount to share their space in rotation with other advertisers, rather than having 100% share-of-voice previously.

The Good News:

Out-of-home advertising has reported its eighth consecutive year of growth, with Digital OOH (DOOH) accounting for 47.3% of its total net media revenue.‍

Jess’ Changing Convention:

DOOH unlocks unprecedented opportunities for targeting never before seen in this space (which barely any Australian brands are taking advantage of), so embrace this channel’s immediacy and flexibility.

‘There are ways to make your OOH ads more than a static billboard played out on a digital screen,’ Jess says. ‘You can really experiment with dynamic and engaging creative.’

Consider when and where your ads are being served, and tailor your messaging to speak directly to your target audience. Developing such sophisticated and topical out-of-home ads will do wonders for your brand interaction.

At the end of the day, advertising works when the creative is good. As long as you nail that, it won’t matter how much the media landscape evolves – because you will always be able to reach your audience.

Heard prides itself on being an integrated agency. From strategy to creative and digital, we’ll see your multi-channel campaign through from start to successful finish. Talk to us today about how we can help your brand cut through, stand out and see results.