Why People Trust TV over Online

eMarketer recently came out with new data that has cast new light into the great media battle. The findings point out just where traditional and online media stand when it comes to the attention of us consumers, and possibly more importantly, where marketers need to be devoting their time and resources.

Like any relevant study, however, there is more than one implication from the findings. One of the key findings is that people still trust TV for news more than any other news source (much more than social media updates, which were dead last) followed by newspapers and radio. 

Online media, even internet-only newsources, were next to last as far as trust, time and attention goes, but the study also points out that online media is where people prefer to research and search for recommendations for a certain product. 

My understanding so far is that we have a cycle where TV, where we put most of our time, reveals to us the brands that we could possibly by. Mainstream brands if you will. Deep down, most people judge a brand on how accepted it is, and we know that a brand that makes enough money to advertise on TV (the most expensive media buy) must be loved by a lot of people. So we put our trust in that brand.

Then we take it one step further. We now know that we like a certain brand but have not decided that we will purchase. Using the internet, either on our phones or at home, we end up searching for the best deals and find out what our friends may think (social search anyone?). From there, the odds of us purchasing said item (after putting all of that work in) are pretty high granted that the brand has made effective online channels and is being spread by positive-word-of-mouth.

The key lesson to take away from eMarketer's findings? It takes more than TV commercials to sell a brand to someone, which is great news for small businesses. Find your niche and master it. Don't waste limited resources you don't have on expensive media buys until it is financially sound to do so. Online media can, will, and constantly does get the job done as long as you, the marketer, are willing to put the work in.

Click here to take a closer look at eMarketer's study.

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

 

Research is Meaningless Without...

I can't tell you how many times I've seen a good marketing or public relations plan be put into place and fail miserably despite countless hours of research put into it. 

I've been part of teams that have spent days studying, planning, listening and digesting pages and pages of information regarding a target public, only to develop a strategy or campaign that fell short of expectations or paled in comparison to the competition.

We researched. We listened. We learned. We knew our audience, but we still didn't identify the ingredient that would capture our audience's attention. Why is that? Think on this.

If research was enough, every competing strategy would reach a stalemate. After all, if doing the work and knowing the audience was enough, how would your conclusions based on that research differ from someone else's? It seems obvious, but we often fall into the trap of believing that information begets a good strategy.

Our conclusions make all the difference. So, we've learned that baby boomers are the most prosperous generation yet but are the most prone to depression. What does that mean? Often, we skip a step when determining what our insight into a group of people means. As jaded strategists who make quick decisions every day, we often lose our acute sense of empathy that made us want to be in the business we're in, whether you're a PR rep, creative director, or even an entrepreneur.

You can know everything about your target. What they eat. Where they eat. How they eat. Where they shop at. How much money they have to spend there. That's just information that leads to guesswork. While there will never be a concrete science to perfect branding, we have something infinitely better: empathy. 

Why do they eat there? How is it different from anywhere else? Why do they shop there? The other brand has lower prices, but our brand has this and this. 

Instead, we focus on gimmicks and toys we find on social media channels that we just "know" will make our target listen...but they don't. They ignore us because they don't feel known. They feel like someone is talking at them, or worse, stalking them for a sale. 

The next time your team comes up with a strategy based on a ton of research and development, ask yourselves: why will this make them listen? If it is something as simple as: because our research shows that they like--Stop there. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

 

 

New Infographic Highlights The Strengths of Hiring Millennials

A new infographic courtesy of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School has given employers another reason to take a close look at what millennials can contribute to the workforce. As Forbes puts it, this new research data gives us a reason to shed previous stereotypes of millennials that focus on them being apathetic. 

The research gives us new light into just how large the millennial demographic is, how many will be in the workforce and just how ambitious and diverse these young professionals are. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.