In the digital age, many marketing professionals may think print has lost its prominent place in the marketing pie. However, recent research and consumer behaviour suggest this is far from the truth. In fact, audiences often respond more positively to print over digital and can create experiences digital can never match.
We all know the marketing journey can take up to seven touches before someone might buy, but what kind of variety of experiences are needed within that? Today, we dive into why keeping print in the mix is critical.
1. Print is Tangible
The number one reason print reigns supreme is that it is a tangible asset an audience can interact with, and they can do this multiple times. Meaning one ad can provide multiple touchpoints on the same customer journey.
More so, print can be felt, which invokes more than just the visual sense of seeing but also our physical senses. This forms a better and more engaging experience, pulling us in and leaving a lasting impression. Digital can too often be forgotten quickly, and it is much harder to dismiss something in your real life than in your digital one, giving print more staying power in general.
2. Print is More Trustworthy
The process of print involves many steps, creating higher stakes of investment for the advertiser, i.e. printing and supply fees, as well as delivery charges. This simple act of financing upfront costs initiates a more trustworthy bond between the company and the consumer. Not many untrustworthy companies are likely to put down so much money. Of course, this isn’t 100% foolproof, but it does add considerable weight to the trust factor in favour of business advertising.
Digital marketing is a lot easier to fake and can come from anywhere, whereas print is often local, and you are more likely to be able to back up the offer by talking to neighbours or the community who might have heard of the company.
Word of mouth can never be underestimated, even in the role of print marketing. Research suggests people continue to trust, pay attention to and respond positively to print media.
3. Print is Memorable
Imagine touching a new brochure you’ve just received in the post. The images are bright, the text clear, and most of all, the card it is printed on feels so good under your fingertips. You can practically taste the quality of it. All these factors create a stunning visual and turn into a subconscious judgement of the company that has sent you the ad in the first place.
This is something digital struggles to match in terms of memorability and power. Using print, you can boldly express your customer’s goals and ethos, and it will continue to stay in the front mind of your customer. Digital ads can be as attention-grabbing, but they will never last as long as print.
4. Print is Understood
When introducing a new product or service to the market, a significant factor is the education phase. You must first teach your audience what it is you do and how to work with your offering.
We see this in marketing; as more digital experiences take their place, they often come with additional educational obstacles. With print, this barrier doesn’t exist. From the beginning of their lives, customers have been interacting with paper and print. They know what to do with it, and there is no learning curve to conquer before seeing the impact of print advertisements.
With the initial learning phase skipped, consumers also know what to do with the variety of print types out there. A coupon, a survey, or a phone number to ring are easy-to-follow, thus increasing the return on investment, with consumers more likely to take action in familiar circumstances.
5. Print is Back in Style (or never really left)
Some marketers may argue the younger generation sees no value in the print medium, and as those that do understand grow older, it makes little sense to invest so heavily in a perceived dying medium.
However, this may be a mistake considering the rise of nostalgia and the return to print materials. Shows such as Stranger Things and social media trends using clips and audio from the end of the 20th century show us the youth are curious about trends from the past.
Specifically, those which occur off-screen. Vinyl, comics and vintage products are seeing a considerable rise in popularity. As well as the pandemic guiding many to return to the offline world, It’s never been more clear that humans rejoice in the physical experience, and print is a big part of that.
In Summary
Comfort and familiarity play a huge role in why print remains as powerful as it is today, and businesses which forget that may see diminishing returns on their campaigns.
For a long-lasting and effective customer experience, print must be considered at all stages and used to connect in a physical sense to ensure consumers across the board keep them front of mind when they are ready to buy.
