THE PHRASE “OLD SCHOOL” has been turning up every- where lately, from movie titles to song lyrics to fashion head- lines. We’ve heard it used as a noun, a verb and an adjective. But as it relates to media planning, while it seems that all the “cool” marketers are focusing on social and digital media, traditional media — print, broadcast, outdoor, direct mail, signage, public relations — still has an important role to play in driving traffic and sales for your stores. Said another way: Old school traditional media is still very cool, and the keys to successful media planning will never go out of style.

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Over the last few years, business people and market- ers have become enamored with social and digital media. They are the bright shiny objects everyone wants to pos- sess and better understand and effectively incorporate into their marketing plans. Let’s face it, the number of options can be overwhelming.

Back in the day — as us old-schoolers like to say — media planning was easy. You worked with your marketing team and ad agency on developing your messaging, you purchased your print or broadcast media (or both) and you measured

OLD SCHOOL

TRADITIONAL MEDIA AND TIME-TESTED BEST PRACTICES STILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN TODAY’S MARKETING PLANS.BY IRA L. GLESER

IS STILL COOL

success based on reach, frequency and cash register rings. Storytelling was basically one-dimensional and brands were driving the dialog.

THE RULES HAVE CHANGEDThe Internet and social and digital media have changed the rules of engaging with consumers. It’s not enough to simply push out messages to influence consumer purchasing deci- sions and where they will shop. It’s a new reality where con- sumers are consuming media on their terms, on a multitude

of devices and many times making purchasing decisions on the fly in real time.

We have also evolved from one-way message delivery to a world where consumers seek to express themselves

— through tweets, posts on Facebook or videos on You- Tube, reviews on Yelp, or photos on Pinterest or Insta- gram. Brands no longer control the discussion; companies need to find thoughtful ways to actively participate in the conversations taking place each day. The endgame is to increase the amount of trust and goodwill consumers feel

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1. Always begin with a clear communications strategy and goals. Think of your media plan as an orches- tra. Every component of your media plan is like an instrument and your messages need to be in harmony, with a consistent tone, look and feel that defines your brand and your business. “What” you want to communicate should drive “how” and “where” you will communicate.

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for a brand and a business, which will translate into positive recommenda- tions and financial transactions.

The relationship between con- sumers, brands and retailers is more robust than ever and c-store retail- ers have the opportunity to generate awareness, consideration and interest for what they offer consumers every day: convenience. And that’s where traditional media continues to play an important role.

A healthy media mix that employs traditional as well as social and digital media can be a powerful way to grow business and create vocal brand advo- cates. The key is to find the right me- dia mix that aligns to your marketing objectives and fits your unique brand, company, customer and budget.

Surveys of retailers and evaluations of media purchasing trends by busi- nesses show that traditional media continues to be the foundation of a successful media plan (with social and digital media), as businesses seek to complement their messaging strategies by using new media channels to effec- tively engage with customers — it is not an either/or proposition.NEVER OUT OF STYLEMake your media work harder for your brand and your business by reminding yourself of these tried and true, “old school” keys to success:

2. Plan around your consumers and their behaviors.

Millennials operate, think and consume media differently than Boomers. Moms dropping by your store after school to pick up snacks for the kids think dif- ferently than the general contractor who stops by in the morning for coffee. For example, billboard advertising or morning drive-time radio might pro- mote a value-priced coffee offering and grab-and-go breakfast items to appeal to general contractors, while outdoor sig- nage at the pump might promote a new beverage to appeal to moms filling up before taking the kids to soccer practice.3. Broadly define your market.The consumer should be the focal point of media planning efforts, but other important constituents can posi- tively influence your brand by sup- porting key messages.

›› Store employees are the face of your brand to your customers each and every day. What are you doing to en- courage your associates to be the best they can be and to empower them as brand ambassadors?›› Stakeholders — not just your banker and your investors, but also friends, family members and colleagues. Don’t forget to keep them informed of what’s going on with your business and any news you are communicating. Seek their counsel and enlist their support to “get the word out.”›› Local media: In addition to having a positive relationship with the com- panies you purchase media from — the local newspaper or radio or TV station— seek to proactively establish a rela- tionship with local news media that cover local businesses. Investing even a small amount of resources and ener- gy in nurturing these content-driven relationships can pay huge dividends for your business.

›› Community: Everything you do as a local business resonates in your community. Find ways to show public support for local charities as well as working with your local rotary club or other organizations made up of business people like you.

4. Turn brand lovers into brand ambassadors.

Taking care of your best customers never goes out of style. Are they being greeted by name when they enter your stores? Are they made to feel welcome? Your most frequent customers are ob- vious fans and can also spread positive messages about your business. Studies have shown a correlation between an in- crease in positive word of mouth recom- mendations and sales growth for busi- nesses. What are you doing to engage your brand lovers and transform them into vocal advocates for your business?5.Measure what’s working and

what’s not.There has been an exponential increase in the ability to measure the effective- ness of your media, thanks to the in- creased presence and usage of social and digital platforms. Look for ways to optimize your spend on what’s mov- ing the needle based on the goals you established up front for your campaign. Old school is definitely still cool. And something else that will never go out of style? A well-developed marketing and media plan that drives traffic and sales to your stores, creates loyal customers, and establishes a unique personality foryour brand and business.Ira L. Gleser is president of Atlanta-based Amplify Marketing Communications (www.amplifymc.com), a firm that helps brands and organizations connect more ef- fectively with clients, customers, prospects and stakeholders. He can be reached at ira@amplifymc.com.