Old And New

What is the most effective advertising message you’ve seen this week?

Was it a television commercial that resonated with you, a radio spot that peaked your interest or a print campaign with a striking shock value?

The above are traditional forms of communication advertisers rely on for brand recognition. The effectiveness generally can’t be quantified.

If advertisers want to stay current and produce tangible results, they must blend traditional marketing techniques with a digital strategy, says American Advertising Federation-Cleveland’s new president Jason Plavic.

“Today, many corporate brands and advertising agencies are significantly feeling the disruption in modern-day marketing,” says Plavic. “For most brands and agencies, the traditional media outlets are safe and comfortable by nature and, for others, the modern-day digital outlets are becoming more dominate and utilized than they ever expected. For most, the challenge is marrying traditional media with modern-day digital marketing technology and strategies to effectively position brands in today’s disruptive market.”

While Plavic is on the millennial side of the digital evolution, AAF-CLE’s 10-year Executive Director Dan Leibundgut has experience on the Generation-X side. During a recent interview, the two seemed to balance one another out whey they spoke about numerous ways they can help their 325 members in Northeast Ohio. 

“Cleveland is a big city, but it’s a small town,” says Leibundgut. “Everyone in this industry pretty much knows everyone. They’ve either worked for them, worked with them, or worked against them. It’s close knit.

“That’s what we are trying to build — a community. We want to highlight all the tremendous talent we have in town. Part of our mission is to make Cleveland a top-tier destination for brands and talent.”

AAF-CLE is attempting to reach its goals by strategically integrating the old and new. The national organization handles all aspects and levels of creative services including account executives, freelancers, students, data, design, graphic arts, marketing, media buying, social media and more. 

“What I do every day is take data and align it against a strategy to make the most effective strategy possible,” says Plavic. “Whether it’s to generate leads or it's to generate revenue — there’s no failsafe in marketing. But now we have the technology and the education to make the right decisions. So, I can collect the data and know how customers buy, the content they are reading, how often they are reading it, what social media websites they are on, how much they spend and what kind of car they drive. I do not know them as a person, but I know their behaviors and buying patterns to provide them with an ideal user experience.”

Unlike television, radio and print advertising revenue, digital revenue can be measured. The products bought by specific audience segments can be tracked. That return on investment (ROI) allows a company to remain in business and thrive as it expands its digital-orientated marketing plan.

“There are over 1,300 agencies just in Northeast Ohio — from one- and-two-person agencies to large agencies,” says Plavic. “It’s our job to connect everyone. AAF-CLE has always been focused around creative design and creative assets. Now we are evolving forward with our digital knowledge — not only for ourselves, but for our community.”