Ok, before you grab a bucket of popcorn and settle in on your over-sized comfy recliner expecting me to be on an episode of Dr. Phil, I need you to know…I’m fine.

However, has your marketing become an emotional wreck? Are you slowly losing that emotional connection that was once so sought after? Are words like loyalty, family, conversation, connection and community being lost to terms like digital, clicks, measurability, and likes?

Yeah, I thought so. Me to.

It comes with the territory.

The Digital World Has Gone Mad!

Mad about testability, measurability and results. That’s not a bad thing. You now have results of your campaign instantly. Giving you the power to make split-second decisions on campaign changes, viewing real-time data and being able to rationalize every single pinched-penny paid out.

But, Are We Putting Our Brain Before Our Heart?

Are the results we’re so focused on, actually what matters? Or, are we measuring them simply because its quick to get the results? (Punches shoulder with self-satisfaction).

Click-through rates gives you instantaneous feedback and results, but are they measuring how your customers actually feel about your restaurant when they’re looking to dine out this weekend? You don’t want to take the chance on missing out on the big picture of building an emotional connection with your customers, simply because you’re so focused on what’s easily measured. (read that again).

Just because we can measure results so quickly, doesn’t mean your customers are thinking about visiting you. It only tells you what they’ve seen, when they’ve seen it and where they’ve seen it. It doesn’t tell you how they felt about seeing it or if they even want to act on it.

And That’s Why My Friends Traditional Marketing Can Still Outshine Digital Marketing

Although, there’s no better way to target, track and measure your advertising like digital marketing, traditional marketing (television, radio, billboards, direct mail) plays a key role that can’t be duplicated by digital. There are distinct advantages in creating your brand presence outside of individual transactions or offers. And yes, you can still track and measure traditional marketing.

Digital Just Can’t…But Traditional Marketing Can…

Create an Emotional Connection

There’s no better way to create a visual storytelling campaign than traditional marketing. A campaign that creates a memorable and emotional connection. One in which you and your friends get together and ask, “Did you see that commercial about those cotton swabs, it was hilarious.” “That Billboard on I-70 cracks me up every time I drive by it.”

 Builds Credibility

If your business has been around for a long time and has been supporting the local community, nothing reinforces this support more than traditional marketing. Sponsorships just deliver. Sponsored local radio spots, local news ads or on-air screen sponsorships, regional sports support all let your community know, you’re as invested and like-minded as they are. It builds trust, credibility and likeness that social media can’t compete with.

 Keeps your Brand Top of Mind

When your guests and players make up their minds where they’ll spend their entertainment dollars, being top of mind is everything. Traditional marketing spreads out and launces out to an incredibly vast customer base. You need this mega reach to create and continue this subconscious open mind set of “That’s what we’re doing tomorrow, for sure!” This is created through frequent, consistent presence while seeding an emotional connection in your customer.

And Yes, We Can Successfully Measure

Of course, it wasn’t that long ago, it was difficult to measure the effectiveness of traditional marketing. Sure, you would get stats on the incredibly high volume of vehicles driving past your billboard or the outdated paid subscriptions being delivered on the local newspaper. Always suspect.

But traditional market today has evolved! And yes, the measurement is getting closer to that of digital marketing. You can now deliver different messages to different households watching the same program.

Don’t be afraid to trust your instincts. Listen to your feelings and trust your gut, don’t be afraid to make that emotional connection with your customers. They’ll be right there with open arms willing to embrace your next message…on traditional media of course.

Rick Harshman is the CEO of H2R Agency, the leading marketing agency specializing in inspired creative and results-driven strategies in the gaming industry. For more information, call (720) 226-3229 or e-mail RickH@H2RAgency.com.