The touch, the feel, of digital: The new fabric of our lives

             We live in a time where everything revolves around the growth of digital and e-commerce. “Soon, everything we purchase will be online,” “Mobile spending is increasing 2000% annually,” “Computers will take over the world,” etc.  The reality is that as these statistics are unavoidable and accurate, they do not full consider the human element of purchasing power.

            You would think that I am biased towards shifting to digital marketing since my core business and experience is in the space. I’ve been developing digital marketing strategies and monetizing social media since its inception. However, my tenure at Variety Magazine proved to me a valuable lesson in traditional media. That there is significant value in utilizing our most underwhelming sense in advertising: touch.

            While our team was working frantically to create engaging, disruptive digital advertising phenomena to satisfy our clients with video, high-tech graphics and gameifying initiatives, we consistently found ourselves hitting a brick wall. The CMOs and heads of marketing for various clients such as Major Film Studio X and Global Production Company Y (no need to expose the culprits as they all partake in this practice) would still have their eyes glued to their hands in the form of tangible advertising.

            Call it nostalgia, call it product life cycle, call it whatever you want. The reality is that the people with purchasing power for these marketing departments value advertisements that they can hold in their hands; ads that don’t disappear into thin air as they Yelp their dinner reservations.  

            I am curious to see how this behavior shifts as these executives age out of the industry and younger, more tech-savvy Gen X’s take their place. But until then, the reality is that large traditional consumer-facing companies will prefer print advertising over digital, and the majority of their ad spend will reflect as such.