Multi-Media Marketing Works

The first Portland Leather Goods bag I bought after seeing the brand on multiple media channels - including print.

Lately, I’ve found myself spending far too much money on leather from Portland Leather Goods, based in Portland, Oregon. I didn’t hear about the company through a recommendation or because I visited its showroom in the city (although I have plans to go visit). I came across it first in a Facebook ad — of all places — that popped up in my feeds, and then through a print catalog that was mailed to my home.

That one-two punch of marketing pulled me in, and I am now the proud owner of a very nice new leather bag I plan to use when traveling, with another smaller purse on the way. The multi-platform approach worked.

The thing is, either one alone likely wouldn’t have been enough. I saw the Facebook ads and thought the bags looked great, but I rarely click on those sorts of things. I got the catalog and I probably would have just glanced at it and then tossed it had I not recognized the same company that I had recently seen a Facebook ad for. It got me curious enough to look, which led me to go to the website, where I then spent far too much money on new leather bags.

It is a powerful personal example of just how well marketing can work when a brand embraces all the media channels at its disposal — including print. In today’s multi-sensory world, consumers are difficult to reach. Their attention is being assaulted from all sides, and for a brand — especially a small specialty brand — to break through, they must find a way to stand out from the competition.

By embracing multiple channels that are all designed to work together and tell a single, cohesive story, they caught my attention, and then managed to keep it. Even their coupon codes are the same on the printed catalog, the Facebook ads, and their user group — it is probably the single most cohesive marketing effort I’ve come across in a while. It is a powerful reminder that no channel can be completely effective alone — they all have to work together to find true success.

For printers, it is a potent reminder that what you do can have a real impact on how successful a brand is, especially for those smaller brands serving a local or regional market, without the massive budget of a national or international group. Going to local business owners with ideas for how your shop can help them unify their social, print, and in-store marketing and experiences to help them tell their story and capture their audience is one that will resonate. Bring your experience to the table with printed catalogs, banners, wallcoverings, and mailers, and then add on how all of those things can also tie into online and social media efforts as well, and you won’t just have another print customer only concerned with the cost of each print, you’ll have a partner who is excited for all you can do for them to help them grow their business.

Now if you’ll excuse me, Portland Leather Goods just sent me a text message that they’re having a 30% off sale, so I need to go spend more money.