Some media are apples and others are oranges. What works in one medium may not work inanother. Here’s a brief primer, assembled by Guerilla Marketer, Jay Conrad Levinson, 2004:
1. The power of newspapers is news. Marketing that is newsy gets noticed because news is on
the forefront of readers’ minds.
2. The power of magazines is credibility. Readers unconsciously attach to the advertiser the
same credibility that they associate with the magazine.
3. The power of radio is intimacy. Usually radio is a one-on-one situation allowing for a close and
intimate connection between listener and marketer.
4. The power of direct mail is urgency. Time-dated offers that might expire before the recipient
can act often motivates them to act now.
5. The power of telemarketing is rapport. Few media allow you to establish contact in a give-and-
take situation as adroitly as the telephone.
6. The power of brochures is the ability to give details. Few media allow you the time and space
to expand on your benefits as much as a brochure.
7. The power of classified ads is information. Nobody in their right mind actually reads the
classified ads except for those in a quest for data.
8. The power of the yellow pages is even more information. Here, prospects get a line on the
entire competitive situation and can compare.
9. The power of television is the ability to demonstrate. No other media lets you show your
product or service in use along with the benefits it offers. TV is still the undisputed heavyweight
champ of marketing.
10. The power of the internet is interactivity. You can flag a person’s attention, inform them,
answer their questions and take their orders.
11. The power of signs is impulse reactions. Signs motivate people to buy when they are in a
buying mood and in a buying arena. Signs either trigger an impulse remind people of your other
marketing or both.
12. The power of fliers is economy. They can be created, produced and distributed for very little
and can even bring about instant results.
13. The power of billboards is to remind. They rarely do the whole selling job but they’re great at
jostling people’s memories of your other efforts.