Over the years, researchers and the media industry have embraced the fact that running traditional media with an online campaign is more effective than advertising in just traditional media or online. The sum of the whole is more than the sum of the parts, 2 + 2 = 5.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking

  1. Have you ever bought a dog only to find that suddenly half the neighbourhood have the same breed?
  2. Have you ever discovered a business on the way to work and wondered how come you didn’t know they existed even though they’ve been around for 20 years?
  3. Have you ever thought about taking a holiday to a tropical paradise only to find that suddenly print, TV, radio and digital are running endless promotions about your exact tropical paradise?

If you’re like me, you have answered with a resounding YES.

Why?

The answer is that something has caused that breed of dog, that business or that holiday to fall on to your radar. You have seen, read, heard or spoken about it and now it appears everywhere. Of course, it was always everywhere, but you simply didn’t notice it.

There are numerous studies that support the fact that print generates better recall, trust and intention to purchase. In past articles we have referred to a few but here’s a quick recap:

A:         A recent study by True Impact Marketing in Canada measured the effects of print and digital media on viewers. Researchers tracked the eye movements, brain activity and pupil dilation of participants as they viewed mock ads in both print and digital formats.

Their conclusions:

  1. Participants recalled the print adverts more readily than the digital adverts.
  2. Brand recall was 70% higher for print media advertising than digital advertising.
  3. Motivation to act was 20% higher for print.

B:       A study reported in the 2015 Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Report, which surveyed over 30,000 consumers from 60 countries, asked participants “did they completely or somewhat trust the media source?” Print came out way in front.

Print                                      55%

Digital                                   34%

Social                                    29%

The point of all these studies is to support the case for print and digital working together. Print is a powerful medium when it comes to getting noticed, recalling the product, service or brand and building trust. When all that happens, your digital adverts start to get noticed and hence will achieve a greater click through and conversion rate.

So now let’s think about the statement ‘the sum of the whole is more than the sum of the parts’. I see it on TV, hear it on radio and read it in print. It, or your business, is now on my radar. Once on my radar ALL of your advertising becomes visible and not just NOISE.

I may respond directly to your print campaign or I may at a later date go online only to be exposed to your digital campaign or to discover your business through search. Whether I am searching Google, viewing your digital adverts or driving past your premises, your business now jumps off the page, like a beacon. I choose your business because at some point in the past you have fallen onto my radar. This is what you want.

We call in branding, awareness, recall and it all came about because of the combination of the advertising and marketing that you have invested into your business.

2 + 2 = 5. The sum of the whole is greater than the individual sums.

So next time you are told:

  1. I was just driving by and thought I’d drop in

or

  1. I saw your sign and decided to stop

or

  1. I found you in Google

or

  1. I was on your website

Don’t forget to dig a little deeper and ask, “That’s great! Is there anywhere else that you know my business from?”

It’s an answer that holds the key to a mountain of money.