Traditional and online advertising: an explanation of current and future trends

Abstract

ABSTRACT New technologies such as the World Wide Web (WWW) of the Internet have allowed organisations to advertise their products and services to a global target audience at a much lower cost than traditional advertising. This article explores both current and future trends of traditional and online advertising in available literature. It also discusses the nature of both forms of advertising and explains a new communication paradigm shift which provides organisations with the opportunity to advertise online to enable them now to reach the increasingly fragmented consumer audience in South Africa more effectively. It further argues that traditional media will not necessarily become obsolete. Both traditional and online forms of advertising are compared to indicate which form of advertising is still preferred by organisations today. Even though there seems to be some scepticism about the cost effectiveness of online advertisements and that the Internet as a new medium will eventually disappear, various scholars and theorists still argue in favour of advertising through this new medium. It is also predicted that current losses in online advertising will, sooner or later, turn into profits once more advanced application technologies and infrastructure become available, and as more consumers become educated in the use of this new medium to enhance the qualities of their life. Since online advertising will never replace advertising in traditional media, an integrated approach by marketers and advertisers appears to be the best solution.