2011
Internet vs. Print Marketing?
Many many things have changed since the internet first arrived, including marketing. However, studies by Morgan Stanley seem to indicate that marketers have not kept up with the changing environment.
The study compares time spent on different types of media vs. the percentage of advertising spending in that media. What they found was that although only 12% of peoples time was spent on print media, it accounted for 26% of advertising spending. Conversely, Although time spent on internet media was 39%, advertising spending in internet media was only 13%. So what does this all mean?
Morgan Stanley indicates that this is a sign of a marketing opportunity in internet, as there seems to be quite a disparity between the numbers.
Some factors which may account for the difference are the fact that internet marketing is much more inexpensive per impression, so you need to do less of it to reach more people. There are also more websites and different places to market on the internet than there is print media combined, increasing the competition in internet, and therefore reducing the cost. Internet marketing is also still fairly new and is seen by some as a bit of a black hole. Not everyone is certain of its success, and many are unsure how to track and measure the success they may be having. Print media advertising many times includes a face-to-face meeting, where as internet marketing is not always a local activity.
All this being said, there is definitely a disparity between the two numbers, and considering that internet marketing is the least expensive form of marketing, there is a real opportunity, if using sound strategies, to improve your ROI on your marketing dollars. If you look at the graph you’ll also see that internet media is the only form of media with an increasing percentage of time spent. It’s another great reason to take a second look at where you’re spending your hard-earned dollars.