Electronic Enlightenment

The end-of-the-year stats all report a decline in printed mediums – namely newspaper and direct mail. eMarketer estimated that the newspaper advertising revenues declined 16.4% in 2008 (to $37.9 billion) and that by 2012, spending will slide further to an estimated $28.4 billion (by far the sharpest drop I’ve encountered.)

The medium’s loss is attributed in part to younger readers preferring to access their news online, a recent Pew Research Center report claims that nearly six out of 10 Americans (30 and younger) said they got most of their national and international news online. These stats attribute to the record drops in circulation and ad page sales. These drops have newspapers struggling to reinvent their revenue models for both online and print.

Likewise, direct mail houses are facing increases in raw materials, postage and decreased demand all the while, they are printing items for a digitally-geared recipient. This is where you, my eMarketing friend comes in. As more importance is placed on the online channel, more recipients expect your information and offers electronically; your recipients are expecting to be part of your interactive strategy, not just receive a postcard with subsequent email follow-up. Use 2009 to ramp-up your interactive marketing strategy, wow the recipient, draw them in and make references to items you have made online, through television or other electronic mediums. Reserve your printed items for the more detail-specific items and use your electronic interactions for the brief, time-sensitive touches.
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