Old School and New School Marketing: Which Fits Your Business?

Marketing is how a company creates customer interest in its products or services, with the aim of building strong relationships through messages that hold value for customers and for the company. Old school marketing leans on traditional channels like television, radio, newspapers and mail. New school marketing leans on the internet: websites, blogs, email and social networks.

So which is better? The question is slightly off. Successful marketers keep the traditional methods that still work and add digital tools that let them talk with customers on a deeper level and learn from the response. A more useful question is what each approach does well and how to combine them for your business.

Marketers often picture the buying process as a funnel whose stages run from awareness through interest, evaluation and commitment to the sale. Old school marketing put most of its energy into the wide mouth of the funnel: reach as many people as possible, win some of them and hope a few become loyal. After a purchase, many old school marketers moved on and largely forgot the customer.

New school marketers flip the funnel. They treat finding customers as the narrow end and put their weight behind building a loyal base and keeping it engaged. Devoting real resources to existing customers builds deeper trust and authority, and over time that trust supports more sales through repeat business and referrals. The lesson applies to every channel, including the traditional ones: a sale begins a relationship; it does not end one.

Push marketing is the classic old school tactic. It interrupts people at moments the marketer chooses, such as during dinner or a favorite program. Whether any given interruption leads to a sale is a shot in the dark, and most of the people interrupted have no interest in the offer, which makes the approach expensive and inefficient. A sales call at dinnertime shows how it can alienate the very people it hopes to win by ignoring their preferences.

Permission marketing is the new school answer. It sends messages that people expect, find relevant and have agreed to receive, such as email subscribers or followers who chose to follow. Because the messages go only to interested people, less effort is wasted, and well-handled permission marketing builds a relationship on trust.

The difference is not a clean line between eras. Broadcast advertising interrupts by nature, yet a message that is relevant, well timed and useful earns its attention. And a subscriber list is not permission forever: when the messages stop being relevant, people tune out or leave. Relevance is the test in both worlds.

Marketers do not all agree on which throwback methods deserve a place in the plan, but several continue to hold up because they rely on human nature more than on technology.

• Promotional gifts. A useful item that carries your name can leave a lasting impression when it accompanies a new purchase or an introduction, and it keeps your name visible long after the conversation ends.
• Coupons and mailers. When you know your ideal customer, direct mail can be aimed at a zip code or a neighborhood. A remodeling company, for instance, might mail only the streets with recently built homes. Pair mail with search optimization and paid search through Google Ads so people can also find you online; the mailer adds a tangible, personal touch that builds trust and awareness.
• Pitches, jingles and slogans. A memorable phrase can settle into people’s minds and resurface during their day. These work because they use the mind’s natural response to rhythm and language, not because they are a clever technique.
• Sign spinners and human billboards. On a busy commercial strip, a person with a sign draws the eye at low cost. Check local sign rules first; where it is allowed, it can bring a local business to the attention of people already passing by.

Billboards belong in the same family, and the case for outdoor advertising sets out the reasoning behind them.

More brands built on traditional marketing are adding digital channels, and many find that the leap is easier to describe than to make. A change that touches how a business sells also touches the people who work there, so the human side of the shift deserves as much planning as the technical side.

Bring people in early

People naturally resist change, especially when long-standing practices built the company’s relationships. Involve stakeholders from the start so they help shape the new approach instead of defending against it. Prepare workflows, presentations and supporting facts that show what will change and why, so employees can see the expected outcome before the change takes effect and still feel in control. Make time for departments to compare notes, whether in a joint working session or by spending time in the field to see how things really work.

Keep employees informed

Few things unsettle a team like learning about a change after it has begun. Give people advance notice of adjustments. If you are changing software platforms or technical tools, nobody should find out while booting up on Monday morning. Involve the people who will use the new tools in planning and rollout, whether the change is large or small, and give them the training they need to carry out their new responsibilities with confidence.

Listen and lead by example

Be open to reactions and criticism, and ask for suggestions on how to handle key projects and customers. Show that everyone is in the change together by staying confident and upbeat when you deliver news; a leader’s mood is contagious. Make yourself available for private conversations, because some people will adjust more slowly than others.

Stay close to customers

Use the shift to deepen your relationship with customers. Shape your brand so it fits your audience, gather feedback on social channels and learn what builds loyalty. A company that understands what it sells and what buyers need is well placed for whatever channel comes next.

Traditional media builds familiarity with a wide audience, while digital media lets people respond, join a list and be measured. Each helps the other. A radio commercial or a roadside billboard may be what sends someone to a website, and a clear website is what makes the radio spot worth running. Advertising and marketing were the setting of Mason Donovan’s childhood, he belongs to the digital age, and he understands thoroughly how traditional media pushes people toward digital. Plan for that same connection in your own mix. To learn more about the people at the firm, see the about page.

To explore both sides, read about media buying for radio, television and outdoor, and interactive advertising for websites, search and social media. If you are weighing a digital plan, why a digital strategy matters is a natural next read, and other comparisons live under advertising strategy.