Anyone with an agenda can source one study or another that appears to support their claims about the shifting marketing impact of one or another strategy – advertising, social media, direct  mail, mobile.

But the truth is media news coverage resulting from publicity is still the single most impactful (and efficient) strategy for creating awareness, generating interest, building coalition, driving traffic and more.

According to recent Gallup study, TV is the main source where most Americans still get their news (55%). Another 16% cite print, radio and “other” media (in that order) as the main sources to get their news. Only 21% get their news from the Internet as a main source, and of these, only 2% rely on social media as their main source.

According to a PEW survey, 92% of Americans say they get their news from more than one source. Most – 78% of Americans – say they get their news from TV. Next is the Internet at 61%, followed by radio at 54% and print at 50%.

And here is one other seemingly pointless bit of data from Gallup: 58% of all Americans  still have a VCR in their home.

Human beings are curious creatures of habit.  They love information, particularly new (news) information.  And they will get it however and wherever they can. And where does most of that information originate from? Publicity.

That is to say, companies, institutions, associations and other groups and individuals distributing information to the media (traditional and online) in order to secure news stories for American consumption.

The music is a little more complex than it used to be, but the song remains the same:  In the land of marketing, publicity is still king.