It is undeniable that technology has impacted advertising; with consumers now having easy access to a vast amount of information, available to them at all times, advertising techniques have had to evolve.
With a considered marketing plan, companies are able to take advantage of these advancements in order to captivate the attention of their target audiences.
Here are just some of the changes that have occurred over the past couple of decades and their impact on marketing:
Personalisation
Advancements in technology have seen a noticeable shift in the personalisation of advertising. Through the collection of data, companies are now able to categorise potential consumers based on a number of different factors such as age and interests. This is then used to create personalised ads which are seen to be more effective as they are only delivered to consumers likely to make a purchase based on their personal data.
While these ads can be highly effective, they cause some consumers concerns over privacy which in turn have the opposite effect of what was desired and lead to mistrust in companies.
Relationships
Another way that technology has benefited advertisers is how it aids communication with consumers which allows for better relationships to be formed.
Just a few examples include:
Chatbots – companies are able to utilise these to have real-time conversations with potential consumers. Being able to answer questions and address any issues quickly helps to convert inquiries into sales.
Augmented Reality (AR) – this is being used more frequently by companies to differentiate from their competition. Using this advanced technology to draw consumers in helps to increase engagement and brand awareness.
Accessibility and inclusivity – when used to its full potential, technology can help companies make their advertising more accessible to a range of consumers. Whether it be auto-generated captions for TikTok videos or creating a website suitable for usage by someone with a visual impairment, these advancements allow for more people to be both catered to and targeted. This allows companies to show they are concerned with inclusivity, whilst also still advertising their offering.
Physical Marketing
Many people wrongly assume that the digital shift means more traditional physical marketing methods are no longer relevant. However, this is not the case at all. Printed media, whether that be informative leaflets or promotional banners, has the power to expand a company’s reach in a specific geographical region. This, plus Out Of Home (OOH) marketing’s ability to generate topics of conversation within a community means it cannot be overlooked but should instead be used in conjunction with the aforementioned digital methods.
It is not uncommon to see physical marketing with a digital call to action, for example, a leaflet that includes a QR that takes interested customers to a company’s social media page.
