Vintage is all the rage, even when it comes to marketing. Many old-school promotional techniques, like direct mail marketing and selling at conferences, are experiencing a new heyday in 2018 after being pulled back from the near brink of death.
And if your marketing hasn't changed with the times, you could be sabotaging your own success.
This could be why many marketers are inclined to fall back on techniques that used to be hot but have been largely forgotten, giving them a new twist to be different than current experiences.
In some cases, old forms of marketing were traded in favour of more modern approaches. Audiences shift, technology evolves, and new competition enters the market, which means your marketing must adapt to these changes.
In other cases, marketing practices were abandoned because they were never good, to begin with. This is sometimes a strict distinction for companies to make, especially those that are relatively new and have less experience in testing different methods to promote themselves.
These companies failed to innovate in a variety of ways, marketing included, and either have paid or are now paying the price.
Kmart’s history dates all the way back to 1899, and its stores’ appearance also looks like they belong in a different time.
Kodak had the chance to disrupt the filmless photography industry way back in 1975 but chose not to.
Online shopping wasn’t the only killer of Toys ‘R Us, but it certainly didn’t help matters.
While their downfalls aren’t attributed solely to the way they marketed their companies, these classic examples reflect the dangers of failing to innovate and relying on brand status or whatever else has “always worked” in the past.
Not adapting to the way customers buy today is a dangerous business. However, it's not always easy to see how ineffective some marketing techniques can be when so many companies still engage in them.
So what's the harm, other than the fact that you're mostly wasting your time?
Marketing and branding are so closely linked that your audience forms an impression of your company based on your marketing messages. The look, tone, imagery, and delivery of your marketing reflects who you are as a company. You can make this work in your favour - or not.
Not updating your marketing can make your entire company appear outdated and resistant to change. You might seem out of tune with your customers. Plus, it shows you haven't really kept up in your industry, which might make customers question your ability to serve them.
As new platforms emerge and you don't take advantage of them, you stand a much lower chance of maintaining connections with your audience. Granted, you don't have to engage in every latest and greatest innovation that comes along. Things like social media, PPC marketing, and webinars just might not make sense for your business. However, you should keep a finger on the pulse of what your audience prefers so you can tailor your marketing to match.
But today's direct mail success isn't quite the same as it was 20 years ago. Today, marketers are pushing for personalisation, crafty designs, and better branding, and avoiding sales messages or information overload. Compared to the sales letters and too-good-to-be-true offers of yesteryear, direct mail is actually a welcome surprise in today's mailboxes.
It's not fair to just say that direct mail has made a comeback because it looks different than it did during its last heyday. It's targeting a different set of audiences. It's competing with different media than it used to. It must employ some modern marketing techniques, such as personalisation.
Without these changes, direct mail may still be dead. Other older forms of marketing may follow a similar path, as long as they've been remodelled for a modern audience.
Instead, the best practice when changing your marketing is to avoid investing in whatever’s trendy and instead find ways to ensure you remain relevant to your audience.
The good news is that as the focus on digital continues to thrive, the old tried and correct marketing techniques stand a much better chance of helping you stand out - as long as you use the right approach. A few tweaks may be all you need to bring traditional marketing to a modern audience and enjoy the results - even if something new comes along.
Author: Alli Hill As a long-time writer for NoStop Blog Writing Service, Alli's dedication lies in solving business problems through content creation. With nearly a decade of marketing and SEO experience, Alli enjoys putting her expertise to work for clients. She thrives on all things fun, offbeat, and original, ensuring your audience will never have to read a boring piece of content on your website.
- But beware: just because some formerly failed marketing practices are suddenly cool again doesn't mean they all are.
And if your marketing hasn't changed with the times, you could be sabotaging your own success.
Old-School Marketing: Different or Just Plain Stupid?
It's no secret that differentiation is critical to your visibility, but setting yourself apart from others doesn't come easy. Convince and Convert’s recent study unsurprisingly pinpointed creativity as the second most significant challenge for marketers (time took the number one spot).This could be why many marketers are inclined to fall back on techniques that used to be hot but have been largely forgotten, giving them a new twist to be different than current experiences.
It works, to an extent.
Giving new life to old-school marketing can be an easy, effective way to make your company stand out. In essence, it's all about doing something that no one else is (even if it’s been done before). But there's a fine line between doing some different and doing something stupid.In some cases, old forms of marketing were traded in favour of more modern approaches. Audiences shift, technology evolves, and new competition enters the market, which means your marketing must adapt to these changes.
In other cases, marketing practices were abandoned because they were never good, to begin with. This is sometimes a strict distinction for companies to make, especially those that are relatively new and have less experience in testing different methods to promote themselves.
- Bottom line: if you're investing any amount of money into marketing, you need to first recognise that some approaches just aren't worthwhile. Get out of the "It used to work" or "It's how we've always done it" mentality and start searching for ways to improve your marketing - and ultimately your ROI.
How Old-School Marketing is Hurting Your Business
When’s the last time you stepped inside a Kmart, bought a Kodak camera, or let your inner child loose in a Toys ‘R Us (too soon?)?These companies failed to innovate in a variety of ways, marketing included, and either have paid or are now paying the price.
Kmart’s history dates all the way back to 1899, and its stores’ appearance also looks like they belong in a different time.
Kodak had the chance to disrupt the filmless photography industry way back in 1975 but chose not to.
Online shopping wasn’t the only killer of Toys ‘R Us, but it certainly didn’t help matters.
While their downfalls aren’t attributed solely to the way they marketed their companies, these classic examples reflect the dangers of failing to innovate and relying on brand status or whatever else has “always worked” in the past.
Not adapting to the way customers buy today is a dangerous business. However, it's not always easy to see how ineffective some marketing techniques can be when so many companies still engage in them.
So what's the harm, other than the fact that you're mostly wasting your time?
Marketing and branding are so closely linked that your audience forms an impression of your company based on your marketing messages. The look, tone, imagery, and delivery of your marketing reflects who you are as a company. You can make this work in your favour - or not.
Not updating your marketing can make your entire company appear outdated and resistant to change. You might seem out of tune with your customers. Plus, it shows you haven't really kept up in your industry, which might make customers question your ability to serve them.
As new platforms emerge and you don't take advantage of them, you stand a much lower chance of maintaining connections with your audience. Granted, you don't have to engage in every latest and greatest innovation that comes along. Things like social media, PPC marketing, and webinars just might not make sense for your business. However, you should keep a finger on the pulse of what your audience prefers so you can tailor your marketing to match.
Tried and True Methods Need Updating, Too
Even old yet effective techniques need a little tweaking to make them relevant to today's buyers.- Case in point: Before the internet invaded every home in America, direct mail was one of the most popular forms of marketing. The craze died down drastically as email marketing took over, but direct mail is making a comeback that no one saw coming.
But today's direct mail success isn't quite the same as it was 20 years ago. Today, marketers are pushing for personalisation, crafty designs, and better branding, and avoiding sales messages or information overload. Compared to the sales letters and too-good-to-be-true offers of yesteryear, direct mail is actually a welcome surprise in today's mailboxes.
It's not fair to just say that direct mail has made a comeback because it looks different than it did during its last heyday. It's targeting a different set of audiences. It's competing with different media than it used to. It must employ some modern marketing techniques, such as personalisation.
Without these changes, direct mail may still be dead. Other older forms of marketing may follow a similar path, as long as they've been remodelled for a modern audience.
How to Make Tried and True Marketing Work For You
Being different for the sake of being different isn’t always going to work in your favour. Sure, it might earn you attention, but if that attention doesn’t result in sales, you may as well turn the lights off and go home.Instead, the best practice when changing your marketing is to avoid investing in whatever’s trendy and instead find ways to ensure you remain relevant to your audience.
The good news is that as the focus on digital continues to thrive, the old tried and correct marketing techniques stand a much better chance of helping you stand out - as long as you use the right approach. A few tweaks may be all you need to bring traditional marketing to a modern audience and enjoy the results - even if something new comes along.
Author: Alli Hill As a long-time writer for NoStop Blog Writing Service, Alli's dedication lies in solving business problems through content creation. With nearly a decade of marketing and SEO experience, Alli enjoys putting her expertise to work for clients. She thrives on all things fun, offbeat, and original, ensuring your audience will never have to read a boring piece of content on your website.
