Is There Still a Future for Radio and TV Advertising?

by Frankie Wallace, Guest Contributor

For kids who grew up in the 1990s, advertisements seemed pretty straightforward. A commercial would air during breaks from regularly scheduled television shows, then the ad would probably replay within a break during the next show, and so on and so forth. This was just the model by which television ads worked.

Radio worked this way as well. Not only was it a primary means by which music became popular, but ads for cars, insurance, furniture, and other miscellaneous things would appear between songs quite often.

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What ‘90s kids didn’t realize was that they may have been the last generation to experience advertising done this way.

Soon after personalized computers became common household items, social media entered the scene and changed the way we communicate and consume media. Now, streaming services for both music and television shows are available. This naturally has led to conversations about traditional television and radio ads becoming irrelevant. This leaves marketers with an important question: Should television and radio ads still be utilized?

The Digital Marketing Revolution
To answer any questions about television and radio advertisements in a digital age, it’s important to first understand just how digital marketing has become relevant. The term “digital marketing” is generally being used as an umbrella term that can cover anything from social media marketing to SEO.

The concept and accompanying practices have turned the entire advertising world on its head, leaving time-tested businesses scrambling and reevaluating their approaches. The marketers of 30 years ago wouldn’t even recognize some of the modern methods being used in advertising — especially since the internet was not easy grounds for public networking yet.

This is not without reason. Practically every major brand that is thriving has a full presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Most of them sponsor posts regularly. In addition, Google ads run rampant for businesses small and large. And you can’t read a business-practice blog without coming across “best tips for SEO” or “why you should be using Google Analytics” articles. Digital marketing has changed the landscape by demanding a constant output of content, and this has become the embodiment of modern-day brand building.

Why Digital Marketing Has Caught On
Why did this happen? Why is digital marketing necessary? The answer is simple: Target audiences spend a lot of time online. In the mobile and smartphone age, that time has only increased. Americans spend more time on their mobile devices than their own personal computers. Digital marketing needs to exist because audiences are now digitally engaged like never before.

This trend is not going to slow down any time soon, either. By 2020, $260.36 billion will have been spent on digital marketing globally. This has benefited businesses in every industry, as big data has allowed for marketing analytics to become more precise and informed. Marketers can learn more about the daily behavior of their target demographics than ever before.

So, should we even use television and radio advertisement anymore? With people spending so much time ingesting music and television through streaming services and committing an incredible amount of their time to social media and Google searches, is there a place for the previously optimal methods of advertisement to still thrive? The answer is a resounding “yes.”

Don’t Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater!
You cannot eliminate the importance of radio and television advertising, even in these years of a digital revolution. The University of Maryland explained that television is still regarded as a “‘giant megaphone’ of information dissemination to the public.” Furthermore, radio fills important marketing gaps, notably cost effectiveness and travel accessibility. Because these approaches can still generate substantial conversions, they are absolutely worth continued investment.

Don’t forget either that in marketing, context is everything. For instance, television ads work well for seasonal events, such as holidays, back-to-school promotions, and the like. There’s a fine line to draw, but if you execute the advertisements right, the profits can be substantial. This goes to show that digital marketing is not the only facet to a comprehensive marketing plan. Other forms of established advertising are still relevant and important.

So don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. While people’s modern obsessions to their phones and online platforms have without a doubt changed the marketing landscape, conventional ads have their place when it comes to generating conversions. Use the tools of the digital marketing revolution in conjunction with other media marketing tools, and you’ll have a well-rounded marketing strategy that affects people on multiple levels.

Have you ran television or radio ads? What has your experience been with them in conjunction with your digital marketing efforts? Let us know in the comments below!

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