Introduction
In today’s fast-evolving marketing landscape, businesses have more advertising channels at their disposal than ever before. Two of the most prominent are traditional media and retail media. While both have their strengths, they serve distinct purposes and differ significantly in how they operate. Understanding these differences is crucial for brands aiming to optimise their marketing strategies.
What is Traditional Media?
Traditional media encompasses long-established advertising channels such as TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and billboards. These platforms are designed to reach broad audiences, typically focusing on brand awareness and mass communication. For decades, brands have relied on traditional media to communicate with the public, launching high-impact campaigns that build brand recognition across large demographics.
An example of a traditional media campaign is a prime-time television commercial, reaching millions of viewers at once. Such ads are typically aimed at creating a lasting impression but are less focused on immediate sales.
What is Retail Media?
Retail media, on the other hand, is a more recent development. It refers to digital advertising that occurs directly within e-commerce platforms, online marketplaces or a retailers’ websites and apps. Platforms like Amazon, Coles, and Tesco allow brands to advertise to consumers who are already in a shopping mindset. By leveraging first-party data from these platforms, brands can deliver highly targeted, personalised ads based on consumers’ shopping behaviour and purchase history.
Retail media’s primary goal is to drive conversions, influencing immediate purchase decisions. A classic example is a sponsored product ad that appears when a shopper searches for related items, encouraging them to click and buy.
Key Differences Between Traditional Media and Retail Media
1. Distribution Channels
- Traditional Media: Broadcasts through broad channels like TV, radio, or print. These channels reach a wide, often undifferentiated audience, with less control over who sees the ads.
- Retail Media: Ads are distributed through e-commerce platforms, transactional or retailer websites, reaching consumers as they purchase. The targeting is more precise, focused on reaching those actively looking for specific products.
2. Targeting Capabilities
- Traditional Media: Targeting in traditional media is largely demographic-based, relying on broad audience data (e.g., TV viewership or radio listenership) to reach potential customers.
- Retail Media: With retail media, advertisers can use granular targeting based on consumers’ purchase history, search behaviour and preferences, making ads more relevant and timely.
3. Consumer Intent
- Traditional Media: Traditional media catches people in a passive state, often when they’re watching TV or listening to the radio. This makes it ideal for raising awareness, but less so for driving immediate sales.
- Retail Media: Retail media targets consumers who are already in the process of purchasing, making it much more effective for conversion-driven campaigns.
4. Role of the Platform
- Traditional Media: In traditional media, platforms like TV networks or radio stations serve primarily as content providers, with no direct involvement in the purchasing process.
- Retail Media: Retail media platforms not only host ads but also facilitate the purchase itself, creating a seamless connection between the ad and the sale.
5. Performance Tracking
Retail Media: Retail media allows for precise performance tracking, with clear data on clicks, product views, and conversions, offering advertisers a detailed view of their return on investment (ROI).
Traditional Media: Performance is often measured through estimated reach, impressions, and audience metrics, making it difficult to track direct sales.
Conclusion
While traditional media continues to play a crucial role in building brand awareness and reaching large audiences, retail media excels in driving conversions and providing precise targeting. Both have their place in a comprehensive marketing strategy, but understanding when and how to use each is key to maximising your advertising efforts. VizCommerce our solution for transactional businesses can be up and running within weeks. If you are a retailer, marketplace or e-commerce business and want to introduce a new revenue stream please get in touch.
