Decades after digital media on the internet revolutionized how the public consumes content and entertainment, we still see a steady place for traditional media and channels. Some might believe that this is because technology has not caught up equally in all parts of the world. But the truth is, businesses can still find valuable customers in traditional spaces like radio, print and TV. As per the reports from Statista, the number of traditional TV ad users is expected to touch 5.57 billion by 2030.
In a world that is overrun with nonstop digital noise, people also seem to cherish the presence of simpler, more traditional media formats. As the data speaks for itself, traditional advertising and marketing channels like print, radio, outdoor advertising and TV still hold a lot of sway even today.
Your business might primarily be using digital marketing strategies aimed at grabbing user attention on social media platforms and other digital channels. However, not dipping into traditional marketing can actually set you back.
This article will explain the importance of traditional advertising and marketing methods and how your business can leverage these in the digitalized world we live in.
Why traditional marketing still matters?
With one or more smartphones being owned by almost everyone in Trinidad and Tobago, your marketing campaigns need to reach audiences via the channels and outlets they are most familiar with. So, it’s easy to see why some businesses might consider traditional modes a relic of a bygone era.
However, the smartest advertising and marketing experts know a simple truth: traditional marketing has not lost its value or disappeared into the cracks. It has merely evolved with new dimensions and roles. In fact, you must combine traditional and digital marketing to amplify local reach and impact.
Let’s look at two key reasons why traditional marketing works wonders.
Tangible nature of print and DOOH ads create trust
There is something very psychological that happens when we hold a newspaper or magazine in our hands. According to research from consumer surveys, 46% of adults find print ads more trustworthy. The physical tangibility of an ad on a permanent printed material lends a great deal of credibility to your brand and message.
The same sentiment arises towards marketing campaigns displayed on outdoor flexes and hoardings. The physical nature of these channels contributes to a sense of reliability and trust in the products and services being marketed.
TV and radio ads capitalize on mass reach and shared experience
Some of the most iconic ads in the world come from the golden period of TV ad campaigns. These ads revolutionized what it meant to market a product. They didn’t just sell items; they narrated a story, they pulled on people’s heartstrings and they appealed to dreamers and doers alike.
Think back to Nike’s original ‘Just do it’ campaign, which aired on TV in 1988. Or recall Snickers’ “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign from 2010. Or even Apple’s Super Bowl ad in 1984. These ads have stood the test of time and are still considered the best in class. They had the most impact because of their relatability, mass reach and rootedness in shared experience.
How can your business make the most of traditional marketing?
Trust, tangibility, mass reach and shared experience are a magic mix of ingredients that will make any marketing campaign a success. Your business can benefit from these aspects of traditional marketing by integrating traditional ad methods into your overall multi-modal marketing structure.
Here are three ways in which you can combine traditional and digital strategies to gain the maximum engagement and follow-throughs on your ads and infomercials.
Using TV and radio spots to increase web searches and clicks
TV and radio ads have the advantage of using great jingles and catchy voice-overs to create a lasting impression among viewers. Your marketing campaign could include on-screen hashtags, catchy slogans, or impressionable URLs that would be broadcast via TV and radio ads.
These will pique the interest of listeners and can lead to more online/web searches for your brand, the product or service mentioned, or the theme of the ad. You can have specific landing pages containing the continuation of the same narrative to tie it all together.
Including digital features in print ads
As we’ve already seen, print ads hold a sense of trust. This trust factor when combined with online efforts can tremendously boost traffic to your social media accounts or direct consumers to your website, further strengthening your online presence.
For example, a local clothing brand in Trinidad can run a print ad of their new fall collection with a QR code that invites people to scan and get 10% off on a purchase. The QR can lead shoppers to the ecommerce product(s) page, making it easy for them to instantly buy items.
The clothing company can also have their webpages linked to the QR code which can be scanned to get location information of the brand’s physical outlets or shops in the region, thus boosting store walk-ins.
Using outdoor advertising to increase brand reputation and recall
Outdoor billboards and flexes have the benefit of reaching thousands of people, especially when placed in strategic high-footfall areas like intersections, malls and frequently used highways. Billboard campaigns are impactful, engaging and an effective medium to increase brand recall. They put businesses on the in front of the masses visually, keeping the brand alive in people’s memory and relaying the ad’s message to consumers without being too intrusive or aggressive.
With growing digitalization, it is natural for traditional mediums to get a digital makeover. DOOH or Digital out-of-home adverting is the perfect example of the evolution of traditional marketing as it combines the impact of a billboard ad with the dynamic nature of digital ads, making it a great outlet for advertising.
DOOH ads are great tools for integrated marketing campaigns and allow brands to bridge the gap between the digital and the traditional, while keeping the campaigns interactive and engaging for users. For example, DOOH can be used to play user-generated content (UGC) for your brand which makes it more relatable to your consumers, adds trust and credibility to brand image and positively impacts brand reputation and sales. In fact, 93% of marketers emphasize that UGC is more impactful than a regular branded content.
Read more on outdoor advertising trends in 2025: How to stay ahead in Trinidad.
Conclusion
Because traditional mass advertising modes like TV, print and radio are visible and accessible to the general populace in a very public manner, they are usually considered more unmissable and impactful. These ads create an impression of confidence from the brand which can greatly enhance a business’s credibility and perceived value, especially when combined with digital marketing strategies rooted in local knowledge and trends.
The biggest takeaway from this is not whether traditional marketing is better than digital – rather, the focus should be to combine traditional into digital.
You can get in touch with the experts at Webfx to know more about our 360-degree marketing services that utilize the entire marketing methodology spectrum to help businesses in Trinidad and Tobago maximize their advertising efforts.
