TV is not dead and, surprisingly, neither is direct mail. If that is so, then advertising on these two types of media is advised. Consumers still watch TV and I enjoy receiving a good-looking glossy catalog from some companies. Furniture, smaller hard goods and even apparel companies can successfully use the TV 2.0 approach to advertise.

This is a limited strategy that doesn’t compare to national TV advertising campaigns typically produced by major brands. For targeted audiences and off-prime TV times or niche channels/markets, the reach of small campaigns and limited production commercials may prove effective. Trying to scale, however, would put this approach out of its league both in reach and budget and likely flop.

As ineffective as it is in our home, we haven’t seen any lull in direct mail and wouldn’t view it as a present, so I’m skeptical of the claims there.

Television advertising can still be effective for brands. However, the effectiveness of the ad comes down to how well the creative speaks to the audience and how much the spots costs.

Today, the cost of production has dramatically decreased. That allows brands to test different creative and different messages, very effectively.

Because of the number of channels available, brands can do a very good job of targetting their correct audience. Wayfair is a great example of advertising on channels like HGTV and DIY.

I am not so bullish on direct mail. In my opinion, the returns were never there and have gotten worse. I have never seen direct mail work.

Direct mail can be a bit daunting from a cost and measurable ROI perspective, especially with many of the new click or conversion models that online provides. New acquisition through direct mail is a tall order, however it can be very successful at increasing the lifetime value of existing customers – especially those who have recently engaged or are part of a loyalty program.
Make sure the piece is distinct and messaging is clear! Personally, I will have sorted what is going in the garage recycle bin vs. what I will be taking inside to actually open within the 20 steps from my mailbox to my door.

It all comes down to relevancy. Most customers are activated by a combination of marketing methods — social media ads, email, TV ads, direct mail — and it’s all about using the right combination at the right time to get the job done.

Will TV and direct mail become more of an investment for retailers as time goes on? I sure hope that if they are, the retailers using them do their due diligence in market research. I can see how traditional marketing methods like mailers could appeal to old school and Gen Z consumers, but let’s be real: direct mail from retailers has never once felt like “a present in my mailbox.”

Traditional marketing and advertising is in a state of transition in my opinion. As long as there are people in their 50s and older with strong buying power, traditional marketing is necessary. This group looks at TV, and to a lesser extent newspapers, as a main source of information. Thus they make buying choices based on the way traditional marketing is swaying their judgement. Those in the younger age groups tend to find what they need through social media outlets. This is where the transition is occurring. As we continue to age we will see the swing in marketing away from traditional TV channels to those bringing us what we prefer to see. And now we can understand why we get less information and advertising in newspapers but are being charged more for it.

A good strategy encompasses a tested balance of tactics which would include TV advertising. With localized TV advertising, retailers can pinpoint their audience by postal code and quantifiably measure success as opposed to using the broad brush approach of the past. Brands are absolutely mistaken to completely turn their backs on any channel, especially traditional formats, as our digital inboxes and smartphone screens are inundated with noise.

Someone once said, as it applies to marketing, PR, etc. that “the magic is in the mix.” Different marketing/PR strategies will go in and out of favor. I struggle with a TV strategy when a big chunk of the viewing audience is watching the shows on their recorded devices and speeding through commercials. Still, there is a percentage of the audience that doesn’t record their shows — or likes the commercials. And sports and news are typically watched in real time. Social media, content marketing, Facebook ads, direct mail — they’re all viable for the right audience. The trick is knowing which one (or more) to focus on. The secret is knowing where your customers are and how they engage in the different areas. Only then will you have a successful campaign, be it TV, direct mail or any other type of promotion.

As with most things in business, a try-and-measure strategy is the best approach. With enhanced micro-targeting TV advertising capabilities, even small local businesses can afford TV advertising with “reasonable” rates to just air their ad in a targeted geographic area within a convenient radius of their business.

With increased competition for key word search terms and web and social media display ads, retailers need to explore all options and TV and direct mail are still effective if you have a creative and compelling message and the reach is targeted to manage costs. If you can’t measure it, you shouldn’t do it, so it is critical to religiously track your marketing spend and TV and direct mail spend and head back to the future.

I am blown away by the reduction in cost of TV advertising as it is described here. Forty years ago, both production and media were 10 times the numbers quoted here. Maybe I am missing something?

I guess I am terribly influenced by my own behavior. I either stream shows or record them. Except for sports and news, no commercials reach my eyes. As far as direct mail, it hits the recycle been before it even reaches my apartment. Even the overbearing RH catalog.

Let’s not forget that broadcast TV is still a dominant channel that has immense reach and rivals the most popular streaming channels that tech-savvy Millennials and others utilize. This is all about knowing your audience. If your products and services have a wide target, as in traditional supermarkets for example, then TV and potentially direct mail may hit the mark. This is not a one-size-fits-all situation, though. You can’t get sloppy in your approach.

Some brands that have been traditionally promoted using digital-only strategies seem to have discovered they are trapped in marketing “echo chambers” of their own design. Broadcast media offers a way to broaden awareness and connect with new potential customers. There are some notable examples of digital-first retailers who are pursuing alternate approaches. In addition to the Scott and HelloFresh examples here, a current standout might be Wayfair.com, the home furnishings retailer, which has maintained a heavy ad schedule on TV recently. It’s axiomatic that a small digital brand cannot afford a sustained broadcast media blitz for very long, but if TV ads (or newspaper inserts, or radio spots etc.) generate a measurable spike in web traffic, then the investment may be warranted. One more observation: In the “mad men” heyday of broadcast advertising, the only measurement of effectiveness available was store take-away. Stocking stores with a new product could represent a costly gamble. In the digital era, online traffic and conversions enable a rapid read on ad effectiveness with lower inventory and distribution commitments. Using… Read more »

The shocking thing is … that these marketers are talking as if it’s a surprise. Amazon, Google, Uber, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft all spend massively on TV to support their brands and drive immediate results. From the reports I read, I believe each is spending roughly $500M annually on traditional TV. The reason? They cannot achieve scale (mass marketing) any other way. What about TV 2.0? That probably makes the board really happy because it sounds innovative. But TV agencies have always prepped and planned for multiple ads and to get as much as possible out of campaigns. That said, constantly shifting message is NOT often as effective as people might think. The truth is that more non-target consumers see each ad (digital or TV) than target consumers. So you need to be careful not to confuse the market. All-in-all: If a retailer doesn’t have an effective TV strategy at this point they need to be finding one. But don’t just look at big ad agencies — they tend to offer the brand advertising hammer… Read more »

It all depends on the category and your consumer target. Not all categories/consumers behave the same and using the TV 2.0 strategy for other products might yield dissappointing results — im certain a bit of sleuthing will find the same TV 2.0 approach disastrous for other products.

My advice to all is to learn everything possible about your category and consumer target and design a media strategy that will yield resutls. There are many examples of media mixes that produced success, but the only commonality between of all of them is thorough strategic planning.

My guidance as always when looking at potential marketing platforms is to start with the DNA of the brand/retailer/product and an analysis of where the desired customer consumes communications. If the limited TV 2.0 platform described here or direct mail allow for a message in alignment with your DNA and is shown to be a place where your target consumer consume information, then test it by all means! There is a limited marketing budget, and a plethora of platform choices. Companies should focus on a small number of platforms, while leaving some budget for testing others.