With the advent of the Internet, companies can now not only market their products to customers with printed media, but can also market on their web sites. In fact, companies can market all of their products online more cost effectively and on a more global scale than with printed media. Academy Sports + Outdoors, ÃÂone of the nationÃÂs largest sporting goods retailers, operating over 100 stores across the southeastern United StatesÃÂ (Academy, 2008), is a company that markets with printed media, as well as online marketing. Although there are similarities between the two marketing campaigns, there are also many differences.
ComparisonsThe most evident comparison between the printed media and online media is the identifiable red, white, and blue Academy Sports + Outdoors logo. If you look at the images below, the top logo is from the online web site, www.academy.com, while the bottom logo is from this weekÃÂs sales advertisement.
Academy uses a jingle on the radio and on commercials that uses their slogan, ÃÂRIGHT STUFF. LOW PRICEÃÂ, which is also aimed at their customers online and in printed advertisements. AcademyÃÂs weekly printed ad is also easily accessible on the left hand menu of the web sites home page. See Fig. 1.
Both the printed ad and the web site are easily readable with clean colors that are easy on the eyes, and identifiable product prices and descriptions next to the productÃÂs image.
At the present time, the main target audience for Academy is hunters. Bow hunting season for white-tailed deer is September 27 through October 31, while regular hunting is November 11 through January 18. Both online and printed media is focusing heavily on hunting supplies, such as guns, ammunition, camouflage clothing, and many other hunting accessories.
There are many companies that have web sites and sell their...