Fill the advertising vacuum – use traditional media to stand out from competition

When building your brand in the age of big tech and AI, traditional media are an opportunity to reach the masses and communicate reliability. Going against the grain with your media choices can give you a million-dollar opportunity to differentiate. 

When most brands steer one way with their marketing, the vacuum left behind is an excellent opportunity to stand out. 

“It’s a powerful strategy to let your competitors compete to exhaustion while you do your own thing,” says Client Manager Sebastian Wikman from Sanoma. 

The Connect Alliance annual conference in Brussels presented the case of Dutch menswear brand Mr Marvis. As a startup, the company built their authority through TV, radio, OOH and print media. Today, they maintain their brand image thought print while adding reach and short-term activation with premium digital media. 

In his keynote speech, Head of Creative Strategy Patrick Maase-Rotermundt noted that the curated environment of offline media builds long-term value. By making bold choices, Mr Marvis has built success that has sparked the interest of their competitors, too. 

Build trust and reach the masses with premium media

Marketing researchers such as Peter Field point out that companies investing in brand building on top of tactical advertising do better in the long run – yet often, both the focus and the money still gravitate towards short-term measures. The importance of playing the long game will not diminish. 

“To be recognised by AI, you need to both optimise your content and have a well-known brand,” Wikman says. 

Premium and traditional media are the way to go when your goal is to build your brand and create future demand in a trusted environment that reaches the masses. Wikman and Client Manager Siiri Medina describe premium media as reliable outlets with high-quality content – journalistic content when it comes to print and news media. Their loyal readers and followers are usually willing to pay for the content and intentionally seek it out. 

To compare, Sanoma’s consumer panel Suomitutka indicates remarkably low trust in social media. With the rise of AI-generated content, original content that is known to be human-made is ever more valuable. 

“The strong relationship readers have with media outlets creates trust, and appearing next to other well-known brands adds to your brand’s perceived reliability and value, too,” Medina says. 

Traditional media – high-quality attention

At best, traditional and social media are not at odds but complement each other. On social media, you can get up close and personal with your loyal customers and focus on the bottom of the funnel. It’s not the most effective way to bring in new customers, however. 

“Not all contacts are worth the same. While scrolling on social media, the consumer is in a different mindset compared to reading the news or a magazine. The environment is hectic and your ad competes with masses of other content,” Siiri Medina says. 

The reach and attention value of traditional media are the perfect starting point for stories that stand the test of time. There are examples of slogans made famous in premium media contexts that have lived on for years and become household words. This level of awareness is invaluable today.

“It’s also a question of values and where you want to spend your money. Do you wish your campaign to support big tech companies or local media?” Sebastian Wikman adds.