Meaningful Media: The New Love Affair

As the saying goes… “be careful what you wish for,” advertisers now have what they’ve always wanted—a captive audience. Now what?

With a wide multichannel media environment, marketers have to work even harder to capture consumer attention, seeing those rare moments of undivided focus. In these distracted times, marketers seek to identify what media matters most to people.

Meaningful Media
Now, the moment for meaningful media has arrived. Through the pandemics, protests and political fanfare, folks turn to media that connects with them, includes them in the conversations, and makes them feel part of a community.  Media serves as a distraction yet remains at the core of what folks want and need to feel good, do good, and become inspired. As marketers, we must rise to the challenge.

Making Deeper Connections with Media
According to recent Havas Media research, 93% of consumers say that media is more meaningful to them now than before Covid-19. Right now, anxiety is slowing decreasing and people are starting to buy more, travel more, and simply live with more ease. That said, they are still watching and paying attention to what companies are doing. In this continued time of uncertainty, companies can and should create meaningful media experiences and show up in ways that will help them to feel positive as we move forward and help navigate what’s to come. Consumers have adapted their media and shopping habits to manage their lives through the pandemic, those changes are likely becoming embedded as part of the new normal that will emerge as the country recovers.

The Love of Local Advertising
Research shows that local advertising brings a new level of trust amongst local audiences. Knowing and feeling that companies are speaking directly to them, showing empathy, and delivering services to the local community simply brings consumers a new level of trust and confidence.

Consider these Local Advertising facts.

1. Among those who live in smaller markets, 71% of people use local print media to help influence their buying decisions.
2. 66% of consumers want ads customized to their location.
3. Over 70% of readers agree that they are more likely to recall a local ad in a national publication.
4. More than one-third of mobile searches are local and growing 50% faster than overall mobile searches.
5. Local advertising revenue in the U.S. is expected to exceed $144 Billion in 2020.

Adaptation will be the key to survival, and the marketers who can strategically evolve their media strategies to changing consumer behaviors and needs now will be way ahead of the game when consumers find post-pandemic balance.

Love new ways to build exposure and drive business? Learn more about about local advertising strategies.