The biggest mistake
With the statement ‘The biggest mistake is not doing something wrong, but doing it the same way for everyone’, Dr Tobias Maria Günter of Simon-Kucher hits upon a key aspect of successful retail communication. Target groups differ significantly in their use of media. Whilst Instagram and TikTok are gaining in importance, particularly amongst younger consumers, consumers over 35 continue to make frequent use of traditional promotional channels (Simon-Kucher Consumer Study 2026). The key finding of the study is therefore not that one channel is replacing another, but that communication must be planned in a differentiated manner.
Customer journey rather than channel comparison
This is precisely where a simple comparison of individual channels falls short. Someone looking for new products behaves differently from someone preparing their weekly shop or specifically searching for special offers. Inspiration, searching for information and concrete preparation for a purchase are different phases with different requirements. That is why Instagram, TikTok, apps or leaflets cannot be meaningfully compared against one another without considering the respective context of use.
Industry, target audience and region make all the difference
Furthermore, media usage varies considerably depending on the sector. The requirements in the food retail sector are different from those in the fashion, DIY or chemists’ sectors. That is why it is not enough to simply compare the reach of individual channels. Only the interplay of sector, target audience and purchase occasion reveals the role a channel actually plays in the purchasing decision-making process. This is precisely why, at MEDIA CENTRAL, we rely on data-driven analyses of target audiences, purchase occasions and regional characteristics, rather than on blanket average figures.
Not print or digital, but print and digital
A look at the food retail sector illustrates this: according to the 2026 Leaflet Monitor, 72 per cent of consumers use print leaflets for food retail offers at least once a week. The medium also remains relevant across all sectors: 74 per cent use print leaflets at least once a week, whilst occasional use stands at over 90 per cent across all age groups.
At the same time, leaflets are used primarily for comparing offers, gauging prices and planning shopping trips. This shows that the importance of a channel cannot be measured solely by reach or age demographics, but by its specific function in the purchasing process.
Successful communication of offers therefore does not result from choosing between print and digital, but from the targeted interplay of the channels that are actually relevant to the target group, sector and purchasing occasion.