Being online is overrated.

When budgets get tight, as they are just about all over right now, the money for marketing seems to always be a top target. After all, it’s a secondary issue for most places, and is something they “do”, not something they make.
Most colleges and universities will claim their product is quality graduates, or cutting-edge research, or service to the state. This is what they make. They “do” some advertising when they feel they have to, but it’s not a priority. After all, as is said in many university budget meetings, “Harvard doesn’t have to advertise.”
This, folks, is a bold faced lie. Harvard does advertise. It doesn’t work as hard at it as others might, but that’s only because EVERYONE knows what they stand for. But they still solicit their alums. They still fly banners on city streets, and they fight to earn placements on TV shows (speaking of which, I’m enjoying Fox’s Fringe a lot, where much of the action occurs in the basement of a Harvard campus building).
So, yes Virginia, everyone has to advertise.
But as of late, a tricky twist has been put to all of this. Going online. Everything is online now. Businesses, social networks, employment opportunities, music, movies, TV (I watch Fringe on Hulu, because it’s better at 11:30 at night), news, and yes, me. And it’s cheap! Space is limitless! It’s easy on the consumer! It’s highly customizable! Online advertising should be the key to overcome our economic slumping blues, right?
Well… maybe.
It’s almost become a kneejerk reaction to want to toss the world up online and call yourself covered. People have placed advertisements in nearly every foreseeable angle of the web, throwing themselves on social networks, dropping video on youtube, and launching banner ads across the web, and some have seen great benefit for it. Indeed, there has even been great strides made in the attempt to further target these ad placements based on page association, habits of friends in social networks, and of course the massive question mark of how Google really works.
The problem is, as I mentioned earlier, everything is online now. In a world where once people could be exposed to over 20 advertisements an hour watching network TV, we can now swing that number in 3 page clicks. And everyone has gotten in the act. Having a clear, distinguishable voice in all that racket gets more difficult everyday. In a time where many places of business have trouble maintaining timely, interesting, useful websites to drive to, one has to question how long they can keep a successful online campaign in full swing.
Online advertising, while exciting, effective, and necessary for today's world, is not a one stop answer for advertising woes. In fact, as that market continues to crowd, it becomes more essential that you’re heard from the edge. Event marketing, name and product placement, TV, radio, and (believe it or not) print, can still provide a needed touch point to drive to that website, or encourage your consumer to take that extra step and actually click your banner ad.