A Step Away from Digital

How many times has the word “digital” cropped up in our conversation in the past one week? Being one of the cheapest medium with a far higher reach than traditional tools, this is the most obvious route we choose.

So in the middle of all this clutter, a New York based retailer decides to go traditional. Enter Bergdorf Goodman. They have chosen the direct mail route in marketing an extremely lavish beauty event. With a line that says “more you spend, the more you save.”

Are we entering into a space where the traditional routes of marketing become unconventional and path-breaking? Do you think that in this rush to conquer the digital space, we have lost our traditional touch and feel communication? Some argue that most of the direct mail efforts end up in the dust bin, I say, are you ignoring the spam and delete buttons?

Digital way of thinking

Personally I feel that there’s no such thing as "a digital way of thinking." The moment you let the medium dictate terms, your campaign is sure to go haywire. Why not do it the traditional way? Once the campaign design is set, tailor-make your message for all channels instead of force-fitting it.

For instance if you are marketing a product that belongs to the touch and feel industry like beauty / luxury handbags, all your communication must target bringing the desired audience to the physical store which should be the final experience touch-point. At least 50% of the effort must go into the retail design aiming to craft the perfect indulgence atmosphere. Instead, a lot of brands today are moving around without a definitive aim in the digital world.

While the concept of integrated campaign is talked about a lot, the question is are we really integrating all the communication touch-points in line to speak the same language? Is our brand tonality in synergy across all medium? Or are we merely attempting all channels? Do tell.