Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/1178690
52 | AD Today 2019 | ALL IN Remember the 'good old days' of marketing, when companies relied on personal selling, print ads, direct mail and perhaps some spots on TV or radio? According to Statista and other sources, there are currently over 4.3 billion active internet users and nearly 3.5 billion social media users worldwide. And while there used to be a handful of TV channels, most of which would go off the air at midnight, there are now hundreds of cable channels and streaming services, all broadcasting and running ads 24/7. With all of this noise, reaching today's customer is more challenging than ever and businesses need to be creative with the ways they market themselves. While modern marketing mediums may have undergone a transformation, Ed Crawford, AD President, Electrical Business Unit & Chief Marketing Officer, confirmed that the principles of good marketing still remain the same. "It's about making sure that you've developed a way to create value and communicate that value to your customers; the important thing has always been to understand your audience and develop a relevant, timely message," Crawford said. While the discipline itself hasn't necessarily changed, Crawford absolutely acknowledged that the technology behind it has shifted, particularly in the evolution from print to digital mediums. "In today's digital marketplace, you need to be faster and provide more," Crawford said. "Attention spans are shorter, so it's harder to keep your message in front of everyone." SUPERCHARGE YOUR MARKETING Strategies to help you reach today's customers and make sure your message stands out amongst the crowd.