Media spend is rebounding in 2021 with a continued spending shift from traditional to digital channels. Zenith reported this week that digital ads will make up 58% of total ad spend in 2021, up from 48% in 2019 and 54% in 2020.
A few years ago, Mark Ritson wrote an interesting article responding to research from Radiocentre and ebiquity that found a significant gap between perceptions and reality on which media channels perform best. He wrote:
“I think digital media brings some interesting new options to brand execution but I remain convinced these media are over-sold and over-invested in across most marketing plans.
“Media like radio and newspapers are dismissed far too easily by marketers, who need to open their minds to the real possibilities that these fantastic channels can offer…
“A significant number of marketers are not driven by data any more. They look at their own highly unrepresentative media consumption and use that as a proxy for their media planning.”
There’s no one-size-fits-all media plan for every brand. Too often, marketers put the media cart before the strategy horse. Media choices should be driven by the specific goals the marketers are trying to achieve. And the most value often comes from an integrated plan that combines multiple channels.
Here are a few related cartoons I’ve drawn over the years:
