On the subject of home interest...
On the surface of it, steering a specialist home brand interest through the gauntlet of a weakening pound, a rapid decrease in consumer spending and the almost complete paralysis of the UK property market is a daunting task. Add to this the recent news that even the most robust and respected titles within the home interest sector have suffered substantial year-on-year declines in the latest ABC’s and it can feel like even the bedrock media channel of the industry is starting to be eroded away.
The true concern with this last point however is more complex than merely taking a glance at the circulations; it is the question as to where these once loyal readers have gone. There are two schools of thought on the subject, one which suggests theses readers have been shocked into tightening their belts, holding tight, waiting for a glimmer of hope to reappear before making any further investments.
The other theory accepts the bigger economic picture yet allows for the other huge shift in consumer behavior towards online that has occurred over the past five to ten years. In particular the increasing role search advertising has had on the complex dynamic between the consumer, the research process and the showroom or physical store.
Search is a very different kind of channel, it’s not a branding tool nor something that (in normal circumstances) can stand alone on the media schedule. It is however the most accountable and measurable media channel ever created and as such has become even more relevant for brands during the current recession. The brands that get it right over the next 18 months will be those who recognise both the ramifications of the bigger economic picture but also the full range of media tools and communications platforms away from the trusted world of consumer press. Search advertising could well answer many of the problems brand face during these particularly difficult times.
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