By Hollis Thomases

“The hand that rules the press, the radio, the screen and the far-spread magazine, rules the country.” - Learned Hand 1942

Even in 1942, Hand knew exactly what he was talking about, though in today’s world, I’m sure he would have also included the Internet. Relying on only one method of marketing doesn’t spell doom, but it certainly doesn’t improve one’s odds of succeeding and e-tailers validated this with their 2003 holiday marketing campaigns.

While online retailers have already recognized and explored mass marketing (think about all those wacky Super Bowl TV ads), most have still relied on their web sites to directly handle sales. This year, things have changed.

Online or offline—which is better?

According to a report issued by ActivMedia, four in five web sites have off-line sales channels, with 54% reporting a “substantial two-way synergy between brick-and-mortar and cyberspace.”

Most commonly used off-line sales channels:

Print advertising.................. 44.0%

Personal sales.................... 42.7%

Direct mail......................... 32.8%

Printed catalog................... 31.5%

Retail store......................... 28.5%

800 number....................... 26.1%

Sales reps, affiliate mar­­keting 25.6%

Online sales exclusively....... 19.7%

Broadcast media................ 13.3%

Outbound calling.................. 8.3%

This year, more e-tailers than ever seemed to “get it.” Amazon.com, Spiegel and Dell (to name a few) sent out print catalogs to past purchasers, ensuring their chances of being remembered and purchased from this holiday season.

A recent study by Shop.org and BizRate.com found that 45% of U.S. online buyers are shopping offline—in stores or catalogs—but then logging on to actually make more purchases.

The study also found that 24% of online buyers research their purchases in a store and then buy online from the same retailer—yet another compelling reason to ponder integrated marketing.

The integrated marketing process

How to best go about shifting from one marketing channel to multiple ones? To simplify, start with your target market. Where do these people spend the most time? Is it reading print publications? Watching TV? Commuting to work? Surfing the web?

Once you understand the typical behavior of your demographic, you can put together a wish list of media channels and whittle it down. No doubt, with offline marketing you will want to include the vital URL on any tangible piece of promotion. 

Plan before you act, however. What will your call to action be? For what offer? When will that offer expire? Through what means do you want the buyer to respond?

And don’t just send these targeted visitors to your site’s home page. How are they going to know where to go from there? Create a unique page for each special promotion and from each different media source. Not only will you be able to measure the impact of your campaigns, but you will also shorten the sales cycle by giving them a direct path to what they came for.

There’s always the guerilla approach: If you’re a mom-and-pop store trying to boost your Internet sales, set up a computer out front with your web site pre-loaded. Let customers check out your site and shop from an expanded inventory. If you’re more tech-y and less of a marketer, get creative: Hire high school or college students to post flyers with your special offer and your URL.

Summing it up

There are some of us who live and breathe the Internet. It’s how we read our news, play our games, listen to music and shop. But others need to see, feel, touch and smell. Internet retailers are no different than traditional ones. They must comply with the needs of all consumers, not just Internet users. By integrating and refining their efforts, e-tailers are not only getting smarter, they’re making more money.

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