Retail Offer Communication: Why the Channel Mix Determines Effectiveness

Whether YouTube, streaming, TikTok, or the traditional brochure: The choice of channel is increasingly determining the success of advertising spending in retail. The EHI study “Atlas of Channel Relevance 2026” helps put this into context. Its findings show that communication channels serve different purposes depending on the target group and the stage of the customer journey. For retailers, the interaction between the individual touchpoints is therefore particularly important.

Today, the path to a product or offer rarely runs through a single channel. Consumers move between analog and digital media, notice offers incidentally, and later switch to a more targeted search for information.

Retailers communicate information about their products and offers through many different channels. The study examines eleven such communication channels and asks what role they play for consumers.

The findings are based on two surveys. A YouGov study involving 67,757 participants reflects general media usage in Germany. An additional EHI survey of 1,000 people focuses specifically on the communication of products and offers in retail.

The study examines three possible situations on the path to a purchasing decision. In the first situation, consumers notice an offer more or less by chance without actively searching for it. This is followed by an initial orientation phase: The person looks around more deliberately and considers different options. In the third situation, information, products, or offers are compared directly with one another.

The various media channels serve different functions. Streaming services, television, as well as digital and traditional out-of-home advertising often generate initial awareness. Digital and printed brochures, along with YouTube, are used more heavily when people are orienting themselves or want to explore information in greater depth.

For retailers, this means: A channel should not be evaluated solely on the basis of how many people it reaches. It is especially important to consider at which point in the information search it plays to its strengths.

Internationally, too, consumers use multiple sources of information on the path to purchase. According to Google’s analysis of the online customer journey, eight out of ten online purchasing processes in the United States involve multiple touchpoints. For example, an offer may first attract attention through an advertisement or social media and later be researched in more detail on a website. The different channels therefore support different steps on the path to a purchasing decision.

When consumers first begin actively looking for information about a product or offer, digital brochures are most frequently named as the most important channel. They are followed by YouTube, printed brochures, the freely accessible internet, TikTok, and Instagram.

Radio, television, and messaging services are mentioned much less frequently as the most important source of information. However, this does not automatically mean that they are irrelevant. They may already have drawn attention to an offer earlier in the process. For more detailed research, consumers then switch to another medium. An offer that was previously noticed through a channel or brochure can remain in memory and be brought back to mind through further media contacts.

The traditional brochure has by no means disappeared from everyday life. According to the YouGov channel profile, 77.6 percent of the population aged 18 and over in Germany use printed brochures at least once a week. This corresponds to around 52.6 million adults in Germany. 22.4 percent do not use the format.

Regular use is particularly widespread among older people and women. Younger target groups are less likely to use printed brochures. Differences between income groups are small. Print therefore remains a widely used component of retail offer communication.

In addition to the age groups of Generations Z, Y, X, and Baby Boomers, the study examines four other target groups: smart shoppers, bargain hunters, trend-oriented shoppers, and families with children under the age of 18. These are groups that the study examines from a behavioral perspective.

Which channels are particularly relevant depends heavily on the respective target group. Younger and trend-oriented consumers are more likely to use YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for information. Other groups rely more heavily on digital or printed brochures. For retailers’ offer communication, this means: The choice of communication channels should be based not only on reach, but above all on the information habits of the respective target group.

One example is the smart shoppers identified in the study. These are consumers who pay particular attention to good value for money when shopping and deliberately compare offers. 63.1 percent of this group already rate YouTube as relevant or very relevant when they encounter an offer unexpectedly. For direct information gathering and product comparison, the figure is 66.1 percent. Digital and printed brochures achieve even higher scores in all three situations examined.

According to the study, consumers rarely use communication channels in isolation. Information is absorbed, supplemented, and verified across different touchpoints. This creates recurring channel paths: An initial impulse may come from social media or a digital brochure, for example, before a website or app is used for more detailed information and comparison. Retailers should therefore plan their channels not individually, but as coordinated touchpoints.

There is no single channel that works best for every target group and in every situation. Instead, successful offer communication fulfills three key functions: generating attention, providing orientation, and supporting comparison. The right channel mix combines these functions and accompanies consumers from the first contact through the preparation of a purchasing decision.