Integration for saturation: print and online advertising

Integrating print and online marketing is more important now than ever. Business today in any industry is too lean to not have its marketing efforts -- and dollars -- working together as best as possible in a cohesive and all-encompassing fashion. It seems that almost everyone now understands the revolutionary shift in how products are marketed. Gone are the days of page after page of print display ads in the Sunday newspaper. The ubiquitous presence of statistics show that the Internet is the current dominant form of gaining information. B2B advertising is an exception to that rule, as that niche still relies heavily on print material. As dominant as the Internet has become, however, research shows that printed advertisements are still used by roughly one out of every two buyers -- and this is as true for Gen-Xers and Millennials as it is for the Baby Boomers. While greatly diminished in the role that it plays, print is not dead. This is great news for many marketers. Print materials are still an effective channel for generating and maintaining brand awareness. Getting your brand differentiated on national listing sites is challenging, given the crowd of competitors that show up there. A recent Google-commissioned study indicated that a brand or product showing up both online and in print increased buyer credibility and trial by up to 50 percent. An integrated, multi-channel approach amplifies your credibility factor significantly in your marketplace. What’s critical to remember is that your marketing must play to the strengths of the medium. Listing inventories should be kept online as this best meets the needs of buyers searching for their unique criteria while also providing access to a wealth of supporting content. Printed advertising should be focused on keeping your brand top of mind, followed with a strong call to action to visit your own branded website. Strong public relations will also help underscore your brand in print. Smart marketers will maximize their presence and their dollar by pursuing an integrated strategy that plays to the strengths of each of their marketing channels. Print and the Internet are forever meshed. What are your thoughts and ideas on this topic. Maybe you think I am off my rocker and can set me straight.