Fried and tested

Recently, global brands Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Nestle invested heavily in full-page newspaper advertisements in the US and in India to arrest the controversy over their signature products baby powder and Maggi noodles, respectively.

Despite the onslaught of digital, the thrust on print media by these brands during a crisis is a little baffling.

Digital media has consumed brands and their target audiences from all the sides. Advertising sales across digital platforms are predicted to grow by 32.8% in 2019, the highest amongst all media channels, says data by Magna Global, which is part of the media agency IPG Mediabrands. On the other hand, print media ad sales are likely to grow in mere single-digits, at about 5% this year, while out-of-home (OOH) advertising will see an 11.4% rise. 

But for crisis management, traditional media plays a key role.

“Often, brands have looked up to mass media releases in print and OOH to explain a situation, clear a confusion, issue an apology,” says Anushree Pacheriwal, co-founder and creative navigator of Gemius.

According to Akshar Peerbhoy, chief operating officer, MAA Communications, print plays a leading role in consumer recall. “This is so since digital as media has a very short life span. There is so much content on digital today that it is easy to forget the last thing you saw or read. Within seconds, there is something new that pops up on social platforms. Message retention on digital is much lower. While the shelf life of print is a day, the message retention is higher as there isn't much clutter fighting a battle for the mind. Print will always remain a strong tool for communication and brand building.”

Experts say although digital is galloping at lightning speed compared to conventional media channels, print still has an upper-hand in terms of total revenues. While digital is expected to accumulate advertising revenues of Rs 18,802 crore this year, print will garner Rs 22,424 crore.

“Print has two key functions, which is to build awareness and create demand. Print can generate customer demand and also initiate sales,” says Nishant Chaudhary, co-founder, Nikulsan. 

OOH is another key channel, feel experts, that can effectively arrest a brand crisis as it carries a prolonged shelf life and a wider reach, both of which are needed to reinstate brand image. According to Dice Marketing, over 71% of consumers look at messages on billboards and hoardings while 56% discuss what they've seen on the hoardings.

“People believe that if a brand can mount and invest in a billboard, then they must have sorted out their issues and are ready to deliver better. Constant consumer engagement with the billboard, especially when they see it every morning, can coax consumers to give the brand another try,” says Chaudhary.

However, crisis situations often mandate brands to leverage the best of both digital and traditional media to effectively communicate with their consumer base. “What is important for brands is to communicate on a regular basis and provide a platform for consumers to vent their concerns or share their views. This is achieved by both conventional and digital communication channels,'' says Pacheriwal.

According to Peerbhoy, social media especially is about building conversations and driving involvement. “Brands must adapt their strategies to look at social media as a way to start a dialogue and through the dialogue, be able to address a crisis. For instance, Maggi used social media to rebuild trust by simply stating the facts and letting followers engage with them and pass judgments for themselves.”

According to Chaudhary, the ratio of traditional to digital media to be used during a crisis is determined by a host of factors. “Firstly, it depends on the root cause of the crisis. Was it due to an online blunder in the form of a tweet going out in poor taste? For example, a staff member at kitchen appliances brand KitchenAid tweeting offensively about President Obama's deceased grandmother. Or was it an offline crisis such as the one faced by J&J? If the crisis is due to an online blunder, a higher online engagement is needed. While for a crisis such as the one faced by J&J, a greater amount of print and OOH engagement is needed, as also online.” 

Chaudhary says it is also necessary for brands to estimate their audience prior to strategising on crisis communication. “If the audience is too dispersed, then a high ratio of social media engagement is necessary. But if the audience is limited to a specific area, (like the Maggi crises in India), using traditional media can help connect consumers better and faster.”

WHY DIGITAL LAGS?

• Print has a high consumer recall
   
• In print, there isn’t much clutter 
   
• Digital has a very short life span
   
• Over 71% consumers look at billboards 
   
• 56% consumers discuss the hoardings