Search Marketers to Follow Google Offline?

The line between traditional and online advertising is beginning to blur. With Google’s announcement last week that they would begin advertising in newspapers and radio, other search marketers could be keying in to a new trend.

by Kristina Knight

Last week, Google announced they would begin advertising in 50 newspapers nationwide. They are also creating a push into the radio market. Jordan Rohan, managing director of RBC Capital Markets said (via MediaPost), “For marketers and service providers, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Rohan said search marketers working with traditional media outlets will have a greater advantage over search marketers who stay with online only advertising. "There's a massive opportunity to sell advertising in a newspaper differently than it's done today. There are a lot of advertisers who would pay to insert ads in 500-1,000 newspapers if the process were easier."

Already online auction giant eBay is onboard with morphing online and traditional advertising. Their e-Media Exchange offering launched late last week. Marketers first submit budgets for ad schedules to the auction based system, then sellers bid for the buy in a reverse auction process.

In a related move, The New York Daily News is tapping the Internet to boost traditional sales. The paper is using Quigo’s AdSonar advertising network to generate more online revenue from the paper’s online hub.