Facts and Figures are great.  They allow us to figure out where the world is moving and what we are supposed to be looking for.  But they are not the game changers to make money today.  It’s a combination of gut, knowledge and numbers.

Okay, let’s apply this to retail today.  Imagine running an insert today exactly the way you would have run it twenty years ago.

I believe we can all agree that this insertion today would not deliver us the traffic and business necessary to drive home business.  But it still had its place in our history.

Let’s do another scenario.  Imagine running an insert today with all of the technological advances:  digital photography, four color printing, in store offers, etc.

Again, I believe we all can all agree that this specific advertisement could drive home business.  It looks hip, modern and stylish.  It fits today’s look but it is not appealing to the changing demographic.  But it still uses an older medium that used to work and it looks great.

Let’s look at one final scenario.  Run that exact same insert today but take all of the new elements involved in the consumer market place today.  Include a call to action to visit the website to view additional offers, visit Facebook to receive tips, trends and offers, and create matching creative across all of your channels.

All of a sudden you have not neglected the base of customers who still need what used to work but you have found a way to synergize the new with the old.  You have begun talking to your entire customer base, not a portion of the customer base.

It’s not about sticking with what used to work.  It’s not about using what is new, fresh and exciting.  It is about finding the proper mix of media to help drive home results to your business.

Remember 75% of all consumers are online everyday—not 100%.  66% of all consumers spend less than 3 hours online every day.  It’s not the final solution.  It is part of the solution.  The right synergy of media’s can deliver success to your bottom line.