Your Media Mix Will Change

I am amazed at how many advertising agencies still start every presentation with print advertising concepts. According to data presented by Mary Meeker today, print media represents just 7% of media consumption but 25% of advertising spending. Print remains expensive: it’s a surprisingly dominent component of most companies’ media mix.

In comparison, mobile-related media is now more than 10% of media consumption while mobile-related advertisng spending represents less than 1% of investment. Internet media represents 26% of media time but just 22% of media spending. While Internet and mobile adveritsing represent $30B+ in advertising spending, Mary Meeker believes that a rational media mix model that followed eyes to the new media platforms would shift an additional $20B in spending to Internet and mobile.

Why hasn’t this happened yet? I think every agency starts with Print because a big piece of paper is a perfect medium to express an idea, show words and supporting copy, and to highlight the best attributes of a new creative concept. It’s really hard to do all of this in a tiny mobilead. And new media options like promoted tweets or Groupon offers don’t highlight most of the things that an agency likes to do.

Another issue is that mobile marketing techniques haven’t reached the same level of effectiveness as other mechanisms. The same is true of social media marketing techniques. Mobile social media is a particularly deep black hole, and one that has been publically highlighted by Facebook during its IPO process. 

But all of this will rapidly change: mobile and social marketing is a focal point of investment and innovation, and as eyes move to these new platforms, it’s inevitable that marketing dollars will follow.