Unleashing the Power of Yorkshire Tea and On the Beach: The Perfect Blend of Traditional and Digital Media

According to Dom Dwight, marketing director for Yorkshire Tea, brands should see digital and traditional media channels as complementary rather than mutually exclusive. Speaking at Our Website's Festival of Marketing 2023 on October 5, he emphasized the importance of embracing both channels in an "and" conversation rather than limiting oneself to an "or" perspective.

He recognized that Yorkshire Tea has achieved its success through TV brand campaigns, particularly through the 'Where Everything's Done Proper' campaign, in recent years. However, the brand's success has also been attributed to its presence across various channels, including online.

"I believe that Yorkshire Tea has created a brand universe that is evident not only through TV advertising but also through online content," he expressed.

By leveraging its unique brand elements and injecting humor into its various media platforms, the brand effectively upholds consistency while adapting its messaging style to suit different channels.

According to Dwight, Yorkshire Tea employs its channels in varying ways. For instance, when the brand accomplished carbon-neutral certification, it utilized YouTube as a means to target consumers who would likely be more responsive to environmentally friendly messages.

The combination of Yorkshire Tea's TV campaigns and smaller scale messaging creates a "wonderful synergy" for consumers receiving both messages, he explained. It is absurd to suggest that it should be an either/or conversation, rather than both.

Zoe Harris, the CMO of On the Beach, emphasized the significance of utilizing both digital and traditional media, including TV. She cautioned against falling into the mindset of choosing one over the other.

When asked about the maturity of digital media as a brand building channel, her response was: "I believe the key is figuring out how to utilize both platforms to fulfill different functions that complement each other."

According to Harris, the most significant transformation in the digital advertising realm is evident in the channels themselves. For instance, the emergence of short-form videos has enabled On the Beach to be more responsive to online trends. The brand ensures that it incorporates information about its products into this approach.

Harris provided an example of how the brand utilized TikTok to dispel educational myths and reassure travelers about the safety of the destination following the Turkey earthquakes.

"Digital advancements offer us fresh opportunities," she mentioned, emphasizing that it equips marketers with an additional advantage.

There is no specific formula for brands to determine the allocation of their media spend between digital and traditional channels, according to Chris Love, head of marketing performance at Virgin Media O2. Love observed that the brands operating under the Virgin Media O2 umbrella, while encompassed within the same industry, have varying distribution ratios for their media spend. Through the utilization of econometrics, the company analyzes the impact of its spend, enabling it to strategically allocate its media budget.

This is a process that “should never stop” to ensure this budget is most effectively deployed across digital and traditional channels, he said.