Brand Marketers Are Still Wandering in the Wilderness
The disconnection between brands/retailers and consumers is a topic Media Group Online has addressed in previous reports and articles. Understandably, closing this gap may not have been the primary focus of brands/retailers during the pandemic, but it may be smart for them to refocus during the post-pandemic period, according to a new report from Blue Venn.
While consumers seem to be very clear about which media channels they use to engage with brands, brand marketers are still wandering in the media wilderness.
Top Ten Media Channels Consumers Use to Engage with Brands Compared to Brand Marketers’ Use of Those Channels, February 2020
|
Media Channels |
Consumers |
Brand Marketers |
|
|
48% |
32% |
|
Laptop/Desktop Web browser |
43% |
0% |
|
|
43% |
20% |
|
In-store |
41% |
12% |
|
Mobile app |
41% |
31% |
|
TV |
40% |
23% |
|
Mobile Web |
40% |
0% |
|
|
38% |
12% |
|
YouTube |
37% |
30% |
|
|
37% |
22% |
BlueVenn, May 2021
Direct mail was the only channel brand marketers used more than consumers to engage with them, or 30% and 26%, respectively. Given the various issues with the US Postal Service, including the increasing cost of postage and poor delivery rates, direct mail wouldn’t seem to be a good choice for brand marketers.
Could it be that brand marketers are so lost in the weeds of new media and technologies, they have forgotten one of the fundamental principles of marketing and advertising? As with most fundamental principles, this one is quite easy to understand: You engage with your target audience in the media it chooses, marketers/advertisers’ choices are immaterial.
These findings are excellent “ammunition” for your sales presentations to help local retailers use their ad dollars more wisely than brand marketers and reach the many consumers who are returning to in-store shopping.
