In response to e-mails about whether it's good idea to invest the entire marketing budget in new media, the answer is that it's important to diversify such as e-mail marketing, a web site, print, radio/TV, public relations, video profiles, outdoor, event marketing, co-op, direct response, green marketing, blogs, and online advertising.
Not every company can afford all of the above, and it's even more difficult in this economic cycle. Whether it's print, radio/TV and new media, if you don't have enough reach (reaching your target) and frequency (repetition), the campaign will not yield ideal results.
It makes no more sense to put all of your marketing dollars into new media, than it does to put the entire budget into television, or out-of-home advertising.
Then, there's the question of your target market. As an example, let's assume that you have a conversational media category product/service targeted toward the 65 to 75 year old Hispanic senior market. Recent studies have shown that 81.1% of 2-17 year olds visit sites categorized within the conversational media category, while the age group with the lowest reach is age 65+ with a 57.5% reach, resulting in a 23.6% difference between the 2-17 year old target reach and the 65+ year old target reach within the conversational media category. Likewise, 79.9% of 2-17 year olds visit sites within the social networking category, versus 55.5% of the 65 plus year olds, resulting in a 24.4% difference in reach between the 2-17 year olds and 65+ years old within the social networking category.
As far as Hispanic Boomers, that's a growing market along with the entire Boomer market. It would therefore
make sense to include other media vehicles in your marketing plan that
would give you the diversity and help you reach this older Hispanic
segment.
More and more seniors are online. What do you do? Eighty-four percent of seniors between 50-64 years do have a computer and 77% of them have access to the Internet. This is not very different from the younger generations. Even though these percentages decline with the increase in age (i.e., 65-74 years: 54% own a computer and 42% have Internet access). The next question is, how much time do they actually spend online? Where else do they go for information and how can you cross promote?
Diversity is key regardless of the market segment. The same would be true if you were trying to reach the 18 to 35 year old male market, and you neglected the web and new media. This would be a huge mistake for this target group.
There's a reason why this age group is called the "Elusive Male" target. Bottom line, there are no easy answers. Diversity is important within the confines of your budget. One size does not fit all.
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