Joe Szynkowski, Chief Communications Officer, NuVinAir

When it comes to innovation, the beginning of a new year brings new challenges, as well as opportunities.

For many communications professionals, we have the unique task of educating customers in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) streams. Not surprisingly, targeting this two-pronged audience requires thoughtful creativity in order to maximize our marketing budget, while identifying the best way to integrate traditional media into the buildout of our strategic plan.

Although TV, radio, and newspapers continue to decline, they are not dead. Are they evolving? Absolutely. According to PwC’s latest annual Global Entertainment & Media Outlook report, online has blasted past TV advertising in size and is projected to be a $30 billion larger market than TV advertising this year.

As communicators and marketers, these insights should influence — but not define — our strategies this year. Contextualizing these types of reports requires juxtaposition with your company’s current marketing and messaging goals. As we know, educating customers is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

(Creative) Print is Alive & Well

Print is still one of the most effective ways that we communicate with our target audiences. As an industry leader in providing patented odor-eliminating technology for vehicles, our certified distributors sell our products into dealerships, car washes, detail shops, and other automotive businesses across the country.

One of the main ways our distributors educate these business customers on NuVinAir’s value proposition is through a unique collection of print materials. These items include rack cards (double-sided brochures), customizable leave-behind sheets, and communication kits that help the dealers explain our technology, products, and support platform to consumers. Without these materials, we would be unable to position our dealership customers for success.

Marketing is Not Magic

Understanding how our customers communicate is the cornerstone to our brand’s messaging strategy. For us, that’s through automotive-industry publications, social, radio, and even newspapers. As you can see, this is a good mix of traditional and new media.

In fact, I would even lump trade shows into these traditional channels. Exhibiting at a tradeshow and actually speaking one-on-one with potential partners or customers should be a huge part of any company’s strategy. And, what do you use to capture people’s attention at a trade show? Brochures. Posters. Videos.

Everyone is looking for the magic marketing button. And yes, digital streaming, podcasts, and online news publications are certainly in our marketing plan as we delve into 2019 and beyond. That said, you can’t beat a feet-on-the-street approach to enhancing brand awareness and building tangible customer experiences.

New Leaders, New Ways

We are all students of traditional media because that’s what we’ve grown up consuming. When you look at traditional media in our brand’s messaging strategy, it still plays a prominent role. Ask me in 10 years and I’ll have a different take.

Undoubtedly, traditional media will continue to experience a major decline in the next decade because the new class of corporate executives will be digital natives. They may be in college now, but have been living and breathing social media and digital content their whole lives. They have cut the cord on satellite television and are streaming all of their news, sports, and entertainment.

When these leaders are unleashed into the business world in the next few years, what new tools will their technology peers be creating for messaging effectiveness? Only time will tell, but knowing how to reach your target audiences most effectively will always be instrumental.

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About the Author: Joe leads the execution of NuVinAir®’s internal/external communications, media, and PR efforts while supporting the implementation of long-range plans related to marketing and branding. His 20-year background in copywriting and executive communications spans various industries and company sizes.