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Multimedia Marketing Vs. Traditional Marketing—What Wins The Day?

by Jan-Erik Paul

In an ever increasingly competitive market, finding a marketing edge is important. For companies who have not yet adopted multimedia as part of their marketing mix, they have a great opportunity to push their marketing to the next stage.

Multimedia marketing is based around interactive, screen-based presentation of information and can include elements such as video, audio, animation and interactivity, all of which add up to a more engaging experience.

90% of businesses have to sell proactively their services and products. It is true that a lucky few have products which do not require marketing and promotion, but in a competitive market, you need to effectively demonstrate why your product is better than your competitors. Multimedia, when done right, delivers some significant advantages over traditional marketing materials.

What are the actual benefits of multimedia marketing?

1) Print cost-savings – printing traditional brochures is expensive when compared with CD-ROMs, particularly if the brochure contains many pages. CD-ROMs can be duplicated for as little as 15p per unit but contain thousands of pages of information.

2) Distribution cost-savings – posting a CD-ROM is much cheaper than posting a 25-page A4 brochure—by as much as 75%, depending on the weight of paper and cover. This saving can be reflected in better quality information within the marketing piece.

3) Greater impact – using multimedia allows companies to show-off their products in the best possible way by using video, graphics, animations and audio—maximising the impact of their marketing.

4) Increased flexibility – did you know that it is possible to update information on a CD-ROM using the Internet? Unlike a brochure which when printed can not be changed, CD-ROMs can be programmed so that the information can be updated over the Internet on an ongoing basis.

5) Better PR coverage – papers and magazine are more likely to notice and give coverage to a well presented CD-ROM than a traditional brochure, even though CD-ROM technology has been in use for over 10 years.

6) High retention level – it has been proven that (on average), people remember 20% of what they read but remember 70% of what they experience through interactive multimedia. If you want people to remember your company, then multimedia is the way to go.

7) Image boosting – by using CD-ROMs, companies demonstrate their commitment to technology and therefore improve the image they project about their attitude to the future of business.

8) Increased distribution by clients themselves – content on CD-ROMs can be printed and duplicated by the potential customer as often as he/she wants, enabling him/her to distribute your information at will.

Of course, one could argue that not everyone has computers. But then the questions is, are you likely to be doing business with the type of person or company who never uses a computer?

Jan-Erik Paul is the webmaster of E-Creation.

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