The Old School's Demise Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

As a marketer, I'm always interested in the latest and greatest, the cutting edge, the newest, freshest way to "do" marketing.  I think, as a profession, we tend to draw people who are naturally interested in the shiniest, newest toys to play with.  It's interesting and fun.

Back in my day, we hit customers with baseball bats to
sell our products, and they liked it!

However, I also know that just because it's old or traditional, doesn't mean it isn't useful, valid, or relevant in my marketing mix.

I admit, I get my hackles up whenever I read generic statements like:

"Direct Mail doesn't work and is too expensive"
"Email is old-school and nobody uses it"
"Stop wasting time on promotional materials"

These are all paraphrased from a variety of sources that I've read over the past few months.  Sure, sometimes, people say this in order to be provocative and get attention (and views, shares, likes and comments).  But most of the folks posting this stuff probably believe it.

Some of us like to act like if it isn't on the cutting edge it's useless, and older tactics are so antiquated we might as well be using cuneiform on clay plates.

I'll grant that they could only be using technology less than 10% of the population uses in order to drive a gajillion dollars in sales. It's possible. Sure.

Did that sound a little skeptical?

Just because it's more than a year or two old, doesn't make it obsolete!  It's marketing, not a cell phone or tablet!

For example, I literally laugh out loud when people call email marketing "old school". I remember when it was going to be the absolute death of direct mail - which, by the way, was the cheap channel compared to broadcast and display advertising - and that was in this century, mind you.

Yet, I do still get lots of direct mail pieces in my mail box every day. Weird.

So let's say you keep chasing that shiny object and never develop skill in these supposedly "old school" techniques.

If you're not using iCrown©, you're a dinosaur!

What happens when you engage a company that doesn't have a sophisticated CRM software but still needs to do targeted direct marketing and customer relationship management right now? Do you know that you can do it without a CRM tool?  Do you know how?

What happens when you work with a business whose customer base isn't that wired?  Just because you're on Twitter and Tumblr and Snapchat and Instagram and whatnot, it doesn't mean your customer base is.

What happens when a massive system failure happens (and it will, my friends), and you can't execute a cutting-edge marketing technique?  What do you have as a backup plan?  How else will you reach your customer if you can't do it online?  Will  you just... not market?

I think you need to make sure you have more in your arsenal than only the latest and greatest.  I think you need to make sure you're not projecting your love of a new technology or technique onto your customers and clients.  I think you need to take another look at the old school, because they do still work much of the time!

Above all, keep this front of mind:  Tactics and techniques should always be 100% focused on what the customers want and need.

Sometimes, that means an old-school technique is the preferred and most effective method to use (usually, it's more complex than that, but still...).  Be open and prepared for that, as a marketer, and as a business owner.

Got an "old school" channel working wonders for you?  Don't know how to fix the CRM problem above?  Think I'm a crotchety old coot, waving my cane around yelling at you kids to get off my lawn? Let me know!