Traditional and digital media can coexist to produce seamless brand campaigns

Traditional and digital media should not be seen in isolation in advertising and media strategy. Both need to sit around the same table, albeit virtually, to secure strategic integrity and seamless campaign integration. 

Above-the-line (ATL) strategists and digital specialists must work together from the initial client briefing until the end results are achieved. When these two worlds of experience and focus combine, brand managers and marketers can break their companies into new and exciting territories. 

This merged imperative is the result of digital strategists being introduced to the market, operating as specialists from search engine optimisation to paid social media, and only focusing on one digital offering. Comparatively, traditional ATL strategists have had to focus on multichannels, which has made them lateral thinkers when answering a brief.  

The media environment is ever-evolving, and so are its offerings. Radio stations, for example, now offer digital display on their station websites along with social media or digital opportunities being added to their repertoire. 

All strategists are aware that the environment in which a targeted audience consumes their media is important to their advertising being well received. But each brings a different perspective to the table.

For example, digital strategists understand that not everyone wants to be served a banner advertisement when they are reading their newsfeed or blog on their favourite website.  An ATL strategist, on the other hand, can answer this by adding TV or cinema to the mix — where the target audience is more relaxed, captive, and open to the same advertisement. 

So strategies are not about an either/or, but rather about open-minded collaboration.

Due to the different career learning paths and channels of measured performance of ATL vs digital strategists, it’s important for them to work together to make the most of each media opportunity for their clients, says Paul Middleton, MD of integrated agency Ebony+Ivory. 

“Our strategists and specialists work together well as they learn from each other to build successful 360 integrated campaigns. 

“It’s a bit like making a wheel turn smoothly. What is paramount to the success of any marketing campaign is that everyone understands each specialist’s function [spoke], how their spoke fits into the wheel and how without that spoke, the wheel doesn’t turn as fast and efficiently as it should..”

Each platform or medium has its advantages and disadvantages and by putting everyone at the same table from the onset, the strengths and weaknesses can be ironed out and a solution achieved faster and more cost effectively. 

Middleton says thinking out of the box then becomes morphed into thinking together, leveraging one media with another, and making the campaign stronger and effective. 

Both traditional (ATL) and digital media have their limitations. From an optimist’s perspective, these specialist fields offer specific opportunities to marketers, says Middleton.

The more each team member understands these, the better strategy can be conventionalised to make a campaign that leverages the client’s budget to the best of its ability. This will be done by using the advantages of both media as integrated campaigns to maximise reach of the designated target audience for the best return on investment . 

Ebony+Ivory is passionate about ensuring its clients’ marketing briefs are answered diligently and professionally through integration media choices that reach and appeal to the target audience. “We are constantly keeping up with industry trends, training our staff and making sure we bring the best opportunities to the table for our clients’ brands,” says Middleton.

This article was paid for by Ebony+Ivory.