Do You Really Know Media and Marketing in Digital Era

Now we have come into digital era, the decision-making procedure of consumers has also changed. But it does not mean that the traditional way has been out of date. We believe it means the traditional media should play its new role along with new media in this digital era.

A recent report studied the decision making procedure of consumers in digital media era, and accordingly categorized the marketing reach points. It points out the cooperated effect of the digital and traditional media when affecting and changing consumers ’decision-making path.

This report based on seminars, big data of searching behavior and qualitative questionnaire. It finds that there is no longer an authoritative central media in digital era, and consumers are becoming more initiative. There are still five stages in the decision-making path. But media can now make consumer be more positive and able to skip a stage and interact with each other.

According to their roles in decision-making path, the marketing reach points can be divided into five categories: coverage, in-need, decision tool, purchasing channel and sharing platform. Each has its own marketing purpose.

In these five marketing reach points, coverage reach and in-need reach belong to media reach point which aims at spreading brand information. While, purchase channel and sharing platform belong to service reach point which aims at providing services that could meet consumer’s need.

It is undoubtedly that digital marketing reach point has more advantages, because it could provide information to consumer with the optimal way in all the five stages. But the traditional media, limited by its features, provide proper reach point at coverage reach and purchase channel.

Is it means that traditional media should be abandoned and enterprises should choose digital media as the marketing reach point?

It is not true! Digital reach point together with traditional reach point play important roles in consumer’s decision journey. They work together to stimulate consumer’s interests and transmit the information widely to gain coverage reach. Among these, consumer search information actively is the core. And digital reach point is the double value both  of media and service, while traditional reach point coordinate with digital reach point providing more information services, decision support services and purchase services.

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Therefore, the change of consumer’s decision journey and the conversion of marketing reach-point from consumer caused marketers’ thinking.
1. For improving ROI of advertisements, advertising both in traditional media and digital reached media.
2. Designing contents according to consumers’ requirements. Consumers need more new information instead of simply repeated advertisements.
3. Putting ads into coverage media and cooperating with in-need media will promote click times and conversion rate finally.
4. Besides media reach-point, using service reach-point more to accelerate consumers making decision and taking action.