Freshly Delivered Phone Books and Dinosaur Marketing
By Hazel on Jul 22, 2009 in Featured, Recommended Video, Take Charge of Your Website and Prosper!
Yep…I did it! It’s out in the open. I just picked up that intruder bundle thrown up on my porch without my permission and shoved it into my car to drop off at the local recycle bin.
That’s that I thought!
But to my dismay, a week later another one of those pesky dinosaur phone books showed up delivered to my doorstep once again without me having any say so in the ordeal. Well, I don’t have to tell you what became of this annoyance once again.
Here’s the thing though that bugs me more than having to throw away those phone books that continually make their way on my doorstep. It’s the huge WASTE this represents!
What a waste of money, resources (hello! TREES!) and the waste of the advertisers money they spent to have a presence in these bulky beasts of the past!
I haven’t used a phone book for searching for anything in years and I’m a baby boomer! Just think of the younger generations who are using digital devices connected at the hip. I can see the day coming very soon when my grand kids won’t even know what a phone book is.
Here’s another annoying side note. I get phone books from sources that have nothing to do with my phone service provider. So these are unsolicited deliveries. Isn’t that real-time SPAM? Otta be a law against that if there isn’t one already.
I could really address those companies producing and selling these useless mounds but rather I would like to use my time and efforts to address the businesses that are still using these antiquated means as a prominent way to market and advertise their business.
According to research from Webvisible and Nielsen, reported by Marketing Charts, 63% of consumers and small business owners go to the Internet first for information about local companies and services. And get this, 82% of them use search engines to find those businesses and services!
The survey also reported, 50% said search engines (Not phone books) were the first place they looked when seeking a local business, while 24% chose the Yellow Pages online directories.
It’s very clear phone books along with many other ‘old model’ methods of advertising and marketing are not only no longer the way your customer prefers to find you, but it’s also a very futile investment on your behalf and the return will not outweigh the costs. In other words…It’s no longer a good business decision!
Advertising is dead.
Traditional marketing is dead.
I have said many times before…we are in (not headed to) but in, a New Era for Business.
Old business models are crumbling, new business models are springing up and completely challenging both online and offline businesses all the while turning the marketplace upside down. If you are not seeing this…I would have to say you are dangerously disconnected or purposely ignoring the revolution going on out there.
In my many years of experience in consulting and coaching businesses, I have found the one’s to be in the most danger when it comes to business survival and growth in this digital 21st century, are the local retail type businesses such as restaurants, cleaners, auto repair, entertainment & recreation, as well as services such as medical, home repair, attorneys, and such.
Most of these businesses are owned by the baby boomer generation group which I have found seems to be a bit let’s say…resistant to the digital transition. In all fairness, I realize most of these hard working folks are already overwhelmed running their business and don’t much care for the fact digital marketing requires more personal interaction and involvement then required using the old advertising and marketing methods of the past.
It also requires a learning curve so the business owner can be savvy to make the right strategic decisions to best position their business. They also need to be able to sort through all the hype and wanna-be marketers and marketing services out there. They need help to do this. The good news is legitimate good help is there but they must take the steps to secure good council.
I personally believe if a business does not make digital marketing and positioning a priority, they stand to lose out big time to those who are and who will.
After all, the statistics are demonstrating clearly your customer is not participating in ‘old model’ marketing so why are you going to continue to spend your time and money to have a presence there? I welcome your comments.
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2 Comment(s)
By multimedia Design on Sep 26, 2009 | Reply
Ah, more broad sweeping statements.
Advertising is NOT dead. (Look on the right of this blog – advertising is alive and well!) Print media is not dead. Only virtual pundits declare such tired cliches!
According to Canada Post, 80% of Canadians still get their bills via the post. What does that say about mail and print?
The Royal Mail in the UK deliver 80 million items every single day. Is the internet replacing printed bills?
Maybe people do use Google more than the Yellow Pages, but advertising is definitely not dead. It’s shifting.
What about the estimated 70% of businesses that don’t have a web presence? There are many companies that are doing just fine without a website – including a very successful web designer I know personally! Yes, a web designer who is thriving without any web presence whatsoever. Word of mouth is king.
So before you discount every print ad, every piece of marketing that is not wrapped in XHTML or everything that comes through your mail box, remember that some people like tactility, hand held and old fashioned. I, too, dream of a paperless office, but understand that not everyone is like me either.
By the way, your spell checker should have picked up ‘otta’. Maybe the digital age (whatever that is) will introduce a new dictionary as well.
By Hazel on Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
Hello there. Thank you for your comments. Nice website by the way:)
Your point ‘advertising is NOT dead’ is well taken. What I should have done is clarify a bit more that I was referring to ‘traditional’ advertising IS dead. Perhaps in Canada it is still popular to use the ‘old school’ way of advertising and marketing but one thing is for sure…digital marketing and advertising is not only giving traditional adverting and marketing a whooppin’ (you won’t find that in the dictionary either) but it’s also putting a major hurting on print media.
Again, my comments, first hand experience, and observations all line up with my firm belief we are in a new business era where the digital world rules and if your business is not actively being transformed to adapt and create your own space using the new ways and new tools for advertising and marketing…you will lose. Period.