Traditional Marketing: Advertising That Still Works!

Is traditional marketing still relevant?

Over the past 15 years, digital marketing has experienced tremendous growth—so much so that many companies now allocate the majority of their budgets to it.

However, traditional marketing, although no longer as popular as it once was, has evolved to better adapt to today’s consumers.

With the right strategies, strong creative, and a powerful message, traditional media can still deliver excellent results.

In this article, discover which medium best suits your objectives, how your message will be delivered, and how much investment to plan for your advertising.

Quick navigation through traditional media:

• Television

• Out-of-home (OOH)

• Cinema

• Radio

• Magazines

Television

Television is more than just the return of our favorite shows in the fall. It combines visuals, sound, and motion to create a powerful and memorable message.

Objective

There are two main objectives when using television: brand awareness and conversion. In both cases, the goal is to capture attention—whether you have something to sell or not.

Unlike digital, viewers can’t purchase directly from their TV (well… imagine that). However, they can quickly search for your product on their phone. In that case, you’ve achieved both conversion and awareness.

If your goal is simply to communicate a message without driving immediate sales, you’ll focus mainly on awareness.

Delivering your message

There are three key elements to consider:

Duration
Standard TV ads are typically 15 or 30 seconds—long enough to communicate a clear message. Other formats include 6-second and 60-second ads.

Placement
Placement is crucial. For example, if you sell women’s hygiene products, airing ads during a Saturday night hockey game may not be ideal. You’ll get better results placing ads in programs with a predominantly female audience.

Creative execution
This is how your audience will perceive your brand. You need strong visuals and engaging audio to keep viewers focused on your ad—not their popcorn.

Possible formats include:

• Countdown before a show resumes

• Lower-third banner during a program

• Thematic ad breaks tied to a show

• Product placement within a show

• Traditional commercial spots

In short, TV advertising can happen during commercial breaks—or even within the program itself. Be creative and explore the wide range of advertising options offered by broadcasters.

Investment

TV investment includes two components:

Production
Creating your message—this is where creativity comes into play. Think outside the box.

Media placement
This includes frequency, reach, and channel selection. The industry uses GRPs (Gross Rating Points).

To calculate investment:
Reach × Frequency = GRPs

For example, to reach 75% of your audience once, you need 75 GRPs.

Target audience

Define:

Channel

• Specialty channels: more targeted, lower cost, smaller audience

• Conventional channels: broader reach, higher cost, less targeted

Program

• Live vs. recorded

• More popular shows = higher cost

Geography
You can target:

• Entire provinces

• Regions

• Specific cities

Cinema

The big screen—synonymous with movies and first dates—is also a powerful traditional medium.

Objective

The main goal is brand awareness. The audience is captive and engaged.

Cinema advertising works well as a brand reminder rather than direct conversion. Unlike TV, viewers are less likely to immediately search for your product.

This is a great opportunity for highly visual and emotional storytelling.

Delivering your message

You have two placement options:

• Pre-show: when lights are still on and audience is arriving

• Showtime: just before the movie starts, lights off, full attention

Investment

The closer your ad runs to the start of the film, the higher the attention—and the higher the cost.

Out-of-Home (OOH)

Billboards and signage are ideal for reaching large audiences with impactful visuals and concise messaging.

Objective

OOH supports both:

• Awareness

• Conversion

With tools like QR codes, you can drive traffic online and encourage action.

Delivering your message

Based on audience habits:

• Billboards: highways and buildings (repetition, daily exposure)

• Urban: city centers, targeting pedestrians

• Transit: buses, metro, waiting areas

• Lifestyle: gyms, restrooms, niche environments

• Targeted locations: airports, parking lots, events

Investment

Depends on the format:

• CPM (cost per thousand impressions) for digital displays

• GRPs for transit/urban/lifestyle media

• Per face for traditional billboards (space + duration)

Radio

One of the earliest advertising media, radio still offers strong opportunities despite lower listenership compared to the 2000s.

Objective

Focus on:

• Consideration (brand affinity)

• Action (purchase intent)

Delivering your message

Formats include:

• Standard ads (15 or 30 seconds)

• Sponsorships (weather, traffic segments)

• Live remotes (on-location broadcasts)

• Podcasts (engaged listening environments)

Investment

Varies by region:

• Montreal: measured with PPM (Portable People Meter)

• Rest of Quebec: measured with BBM (listener diaries)

1 PPM ≈ 1.6 BBM

Magazines

Since the pandemic, digital fatigue has increased. Many people are looking to disconnect—magazines offer that escape.

Objective

Primary goal: brand awareness

Advantages:

• Long lifespan (kept for years)

• Strong readership reach

Delivering your message

Ad formats include:

• Inside banners

• 1/3 page (horizontal or vertical)

• Half page

• Full page

• Double-page spread

You can also include:

• Product samples

• Discount offers

• Catalogs

• Promotional items

Creativity is your only limit.

Conclusion

Traditional marketing is a powerful complement to digital marketing. It helps reach consumers at different stages of their journey.

The most effective strategy combines both traditional and digital marketing.

The content of this article is based on the 360 Marketing Communication Strategies course taught by Mylène Berthiaume at FSA Laval.

Interested in launching a traditional marketing campaign? Schedule a meeting with the Duo Énergie Graphique marketing team to discuss your ideas!