Digital is simply putting new wine in old bottles – Dotun Babatunde
By Felicia Nwosu
“Digital is simply putting new wine in old bottles.” This assertion was made by Dotun Babatunde, Head, Digital Marketing, Olam Nigeria Limited, and a multi-disciplinary creative and digital marketing communications professional, during his presentation at the MARKETING EDGE Second Quarterly Virtual Summit 2021. The Summit, which has the theme: “Digital Advertising VS Traditional Media; Conversion Rate Challenge”, saw some industry eggheads treat the topic realistically.
During his presentation, Mr. Babatunde noted that both digital and traditional media are effective in reaching the consumers, but advised that brands need to identify where the consumer is to enable them know the right channel to use.
“The future of what we are doing is not about the old versus the new; marketing has gone beyond digital versus traditional,” he said.
He stated that consumers’ journeys are not the same in location and modes; and therefore urged content creators and brands to first of all understand who the consumers are, how to reach them and what they want.
In his words: “In reaching the consumer through a channel, it is better to go through the appropriate channel. You must be clear with your objective, know what you want to achieve in the campaign to enable you to track it.”
Speaking on how to measure conversion, he said that the same barometer cannot be used since locations and mode of channels vary for each brand.
Mr. Babatunde also revealed that it is easier to detect the sources of traffic in e- commerce, which is why there is a need to understand how the various channels work.
He emphasised the importance of knowing the target audience whom he noted are different from the millennial in age and category, and who may love the same brand, but have different consumer experience journeys. This, he said, will result in a different conversion rate for each of them. The digital marketing expert therefore advised brands to create unit channels for consumers, understand their needs in details, as this will help to serve them better.
Also speaking on the Summit theme, Ose Osundeko, Group Head, Digital Marketing at Fidelity Bank Plc., noted that for brands to be truly successful, digital technology must be integrated with traditional to meet up with the pace of consumers’ experience journey, highlighting the urgent need for marketing to evolve, as buyers behaviours are also evolving.
She revealed that consumers are already feeling excited about digital advertising, but stressed that the best value is achieved only when both are combined.
She further added that traditional media is very effective in creating awareness and also drives sales, while calling for a focus on content. “Focus on content and the channel by developing memorable contents that consumers remember and share with others. This will help increase the impact of conversion.”
Another panelist, Omokehinde Thomas, Leader, Digital Business, Noah’s Ark Communications at The REDWOLF Company, on her part highlighted various means brand use in tracking conversion on both the digital and traditional media. For the digital, she said it is very easy to track through websites and other social platforms. For traditional, she noted that though it is a bit difficult to track, but it is also possible.
“For digital, it can be easy. But it can be a challenge in traditional media. Though it can be tracked through coupon and call-in-programmes by asking audience how they get to know about the product or programme.”
She, however, corroborated other panelists’ position on the need for collaboration as one platform should not sit on its own, but should be integrated.
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