The old adage says, “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and other is gold.”

In the fast evolving world of marketing, this time-tested message is as relevant as ever. ”Marketing and ad dollars may be migrating away from traditional media to the Internet, wireless and other new media,” said Jack Abbott, CEO of Interactivate Inc., a Southern California-based agency specializing in online marketing and communications. “But at the same time, a marketing strategy that disregards the power of offline marketing is not engaging the full audience.”

Abbott noted that while digital media offers a degree of measurability and accountability that traditional venues have never been able to deliver, offline marketing’s value remains viable in reaching targeted audiences that still read the newspaper, sort through mail, listen to the car radio and watch television. “At one end of the spectrum,” he said, “it’s all about impressions. Delivering the message to the customer and generating brand recognition. Familiarity breeds trust, and trust still sells product.”

Abbott noted that a portion of the buying public, particularly people over 40 years of age, receive information in a fairly traditional format. They are accustomed to messages they see on billboards. They still collect point-of-service information and respond to public relations activities and cause marketing efforts that present the client as a concerned citizen. These approaches should be factored into many marketing arsenals for reaching the public at large.

He advised though that clients must integrate new online venues with offline programs. “If you don’t,” said Abbott,” you risk losing market share to your competitors who are.”

While traditional advertising placement and distribution remains much the same, new media approaches to strategic marketing is dynamic and morphing at a rapid rate.

“Just a few years ago, the online marketing approach was to launch a website or place a banner ad. Today, new media have their own rules of engagement. To begin with, this is a consumer-centric environment. The old style of talking at customers doesn’t resonate in the digital world. If it isn’t relevant to the audience, it isn’t read.”

Messaging must be designed and written for the specific medium. It has to be programmed to capture desired date, optimized for search engine marketing, analyzed to measure what is working and continually fine-tuned to improve results. “It’s definitely an arena that requires specialized skills and expertise,” Abbott said.

The old staple of metropolitan newspaper advertising is shrinking as ad dollars move to online sources. Publications themselves are sizing down and moving to online formats. Television revenues remain strong, but even this approach increasingly drives people to an online response. “Advertisers realize they can and must engage customers as never before. Social networking, rich media, media convergence, mobile and search are the hot trends that make this possible,” said Abbott.

The older population with its extensive buying power still relies heavily on traditional offline advertising. If this is the targeted audience, marketing approaches should be skewed accordingly.

The younger consumer, on the other hand, has grown up with the Internet. They are “plugged in” in every possible way at almost every imaginable moment. They expect almost a spontaneous response to their queries and move on impulse. Marketing mavens recognize the buying power of this population whose ability to communicate has spread through the widespread adoption of broadband. “Faster downloads mean marketers can now include video and other rich media on their websites without clogging consumers’ computers. This trend is fueling media convergence– the concept that your computer functions increasingly as the primary conduit for entertainment, news and information,” said Abbott.