In business, marketing is an essential tool for reaching consumers and promoting a brand image. But the number of marketing strategies and venues available makes effective marketing a challenge, especially in a changing media landscape. Linear marketing is one way to classify a group of advertising options. It has its own specific benefits and drawbacks compared to the alternatives.
Linear marketing is any marketing campaign that relies on straightforward and time-based, or linear, audiovisual media as its method of presentation. Linear marketing takes place at a specific time and for a predetermined duration. This does not mean that linear marketing only occurs once. However, it does mean that each time a piece of linear marketing is repeated, it is the same for all consumers and identical to previous versions.
Linear marketing is usually embedded in linear media content, which is also time-based. One typical example is a television commercial, which runs for a specified duration at an advertiser's chosen time. Radio advertising is also linear, occurring in a set period of time as scheduled by the broadcaster. Film trailers and on-screen advertising in theaters are other examples of linear marketing.
Linear marketing generally has a low level of participation from consumers. Unlike nonlinear marketing, which can be highly interactive, linear marketing takes place regardless of how consumers respond. Consumers also generally do not seek out linear marketing. Rather, it comes packaged with media they choose to consume. Nonlinear marketing includes Internet advertising, with consumers free to click on links, replay video or audio content, pause or mute content and participate in social or game-based aspects of the marketing.
Linear marketing is not necessarily better or worse than nonlinear marketing. Instead, each method employs its own strategy for capturing consumers' attention. Interactive, nonlinear marketing is more appropriate for the participatory environment of the Internet, while linear marketing is suitable for situations in which consumers expect to sit back and have media delivered to them. Advertising agencies may specialize in one or both forms of marketing, and businesses can employ a combination of the two to appeal to different target groups or promote its products in ways that are most likely to boost sales.
- Keith Brofsky/Photodisc/Getty Images