Newsflash: Grandma gets Google

Yes Ryan, Google is taking over the world. Not that I ever doubted that before, but that theory was once again confirmed for me on a recent trip to my hometown. While sitting down to lunch with my grandmother – a person who literally quit her last job when they decided to buy computers for the office – she said the “G” word. And not only did she say it. She used it correctly as a verb. I was floored to say the least, and it took a few seconds for me to comprehend what I had just heard.

So, what’s so special about that? After several years of trying to explain to friends, family, and clients what it is we’re trying to accomplish in this industry, I realized that if my grandmother – someone who doesn’t even own a computer – could understand the power and reach of the medium, then that ever elusive link between traditional and interactive had been confirmed.

You’re thinking to yourself, “That’s a pretty broad leap isn’t it?” Not really and here’s why. For a few years now Media Two has been concentrating not only on strategic interactive campaigns, but also convergence trends of how interactive and traditional media play a role in driving traffic and sales online… and vice versa of course. Each media plays off the other in a fascinating trend line that, depending on the client’s objectives, shows how effective a cross medium strategy can be when creative and messaging are properly tested, launched, and then fully optimized. And at the cornerstone of this cycle is interactive media. As a performance benchmark for testing copy, audience demographics, landing pages, banner creative, and conversion funnel metrics, this plays in integral part in any campaign.

Savvy internet marketers have known these big picture trends and strategies for a while now. That said, I’d like to take this a step further and attempt to coin a phrase given my grandmother’s recent revelation. Let’s call it silent surfing. You’ve probably done it a hundred times and never even thought about it. You’re sitting at your computer, and get a phone call. During the conversation a question arises that neither party has an immediate answer to so you offer to Google it for them. An hour later you find yourself entranced in someone else’s business, happily surfing away on their behalf over a topic you thought you had absolutely no interest in.

In my grandmother’s case, it was a healthcare issue. She had seen a “pharmamercial” for the latest and greatest drug and had asked my aunt to look into it for her. Two weeks later, my aunt had given her every piece of information the company’s site, WebMD, and half a dozen magazine articles had to offer on the drug, and she confidently walked into her doctor’s office and asked him if it was right for her.

Now I’m sure any traditional planners out there may be thumping their chests saying, “That was our ad she responded to.” My response to that is yes, no, and maybe. The point of the story here is not to spotlight where the conversion funnel began. TV is a powerful brand medium, and since DR is our bread and butter, that’s not a fight I’m brave enough to take on at this juncture. However, the point I am trying to make is that we need to better analyze the process. As advertisers we can look at trend lines, graphs, and conversion data until we’re blue in the face, but having the stories to back up the data solidifies even further what we’ve been preaching as the convergence of media. The Internet has gained a reputation for instant gratification. Click to buy, click to call, click to do whatever you want to, but understanding the trends before, between, and after the clicks is how we put ourselves in a position to excel as marketers and truly take our clients’ campaigns to the next level.

P.S. – Thanks Grandma!