Charlotte Bennett, 8848’s client services director, says don’t look back in anger at some of these marketing classics.
The Oasis tour news got me reminiscing this week about things in marketing that don’t live forever.
In the age of digital marketing, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends and technologies. From social media campaigns to influencer partnerships, the supersonic marketing landscape has evolved dramatically.
However, there are a few marketing channels that have fallen by the wayside, yet could still roll with it today.
So, stand by me as I look at some that were once ubiquitous but should still be considered today.
Door Drops
Remember when your front mat would be filled with flyers and brochures from local businesses? Door drops were a staple of traditional marketing, offering a direct way to reach potential customers in their homes. While they may seem old-fashioned, they can still be an effective way to target specific demographics and geographic areas. In fact, research from Royal Mail shows that 69% of door drops are opened, read or filed. Some might say, who’s the fool now?
Printed Brochures
Before the internet, brochures were the go-to tool for businesses to showcase their products and services. They were often beautifully designed and contained detailed information about the company’s offerings. Anyone else remember spending hours choosing what stock to print your brochure on? The magic of paper stock – I can smell it now. While digital brochures and websites have largely replaced printed versions, there’s something undeniably tangible about holding a physical brochure in your hands.
Yellow Pages
The Yellow Pages used to be a must-have resource for finding local businesses. For the kids out there, it was a thick, phonebook-sized directory that was organised by category. While online search engines have made the Yellow Pages obsolete, it’s still a nostalgic reminder of a simpler time. There also used to be competitions on how fast you could tear up a Yellow Pages. Such magical times!
Printed photographs with press releases
Printing hard-copy press releases and then getting photographs printed at a lab and manually sticking captions on the back – they were the days! My goodness, the cost and time alone makes me want to turn to cigarettes and alcohol. Such happy days.
Cast no shadow on the old days
While these marketing channels may seem outdated, they can still be effective in certain situations. For example, door-drops can be a great way to reach a targeted audience, and printed brochures can be a valuable tool for businesses that want to leave a lasting impression.
The message? Don’t slide away, revisit the past and see if these classic tactics can work for your business. But, perhaps not the printed press releases!