01 Jul Offline marketing in online times Switching on offline marketing
Offline marketing faces a huge challenge in coping with the intense digitalization of the traditional marketing, but it’s expected to take a whole new level the next months.
The impact of global crisis on marketing is critical, as major events have been cancelled and postponed. Several activities such as the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo were delayed to 2021, and the Cannes Film Festival and the 74th Annual Tony Awards are being postponed.
However Offline marketing goes hand in hand with e-commerce businesses, since it introduces products to a wider audience base and approaches an instinctive side of the consumer.
According to surveys, almost 40% of the purchases are initiated by offline advertisement. In addition, almost 60% of customers prefer purchasing items online, only after considering a word-of-mouth recommendation.
Health concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic have forced a lot of businesses to adapt a full digital approach, organizing online huge events that usually took place in large fairs. Some of them even adapted virtual hiring, conducting entirely remote online video interviews besides working from home for those who are already employed.
Offline marketing is the strategy that uses prints, billboards, and events to promote business. It can be cost-effective and brand extending since it reaches each individual’s everyday life.
But for the last six months heavy usage of social media and the digital world has forced traditional marketing to back off. The lockdown due to pandemic crisis pushed people to virtually interact and do their shopping online, thus it seemed ridiculous to invest in face to face advertising while everyone is staying at home.
But the market directions never cease of surprises.
A lot of major foundations and events went online this year to cope with the full digitalization of the traditional marketing. Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference 2020 for instance was accessible for free via live stream on Apple’s website, and provided more access to viewers around the world.
The China Import Export Exhibit in Guangzhou, commonly referred to as the Canton Fair, transitioned to an online conference this June. The fair is one of the world’s largest trade shows showcasing a range of products from large machinery and industrial equipment to consumer electronics and home appliances.
It lasted 10 days, and attracted over 25,000 exhibitors from across China who came to market their goods to an international customer base hailing from 217 countries. The fair hosted 24 cloud-based virtual promotions, five virtual signing ceremonies for trade contracts, 20 virtual fashion shows, and 64 product launches.
But offline marketing campaigns are expected to take a new level the next twelve months, as a lot of people will gradually restore their previous lifestyle before the pandemic crisis, thus backing off of the digital world and re approaching the traditional market.
Offline marketing campaigns will have the chance to introduce new methods of advertising to reach a wider audience that will gradually flood the streets.
And as the COVID-19 pandemic compelled many marketing platforms and business foundations to fully embrace digital techniques, so will the reopening and the gradual lockdown lifting will push the traditional offline market to take up new strategies.
One of these strategies is the Online-to-Offline (O2O) commerce, in which both channels are used equally and that includes: Click and collect – where customers buy products online and then pick them up in-store, Online shopping during a physical visit, or returning items purchased online to a physical store
According to reports 76% of consumers who search for products or services in their local area end up visiting a store within a day, with many of these visits resulting in purchases. Spotify estimates show that over 80% of retail sales will happen in stores to 2021, and possibly beyond which spot the light on the importance of the offline marketing’ role and how creative it can be.
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