The power of print post Covid
The last 18 months have been extremely challenging for businesses across the UK. Many have had to reinvent or reposition themselves – venturing into new markets and seeking out new customers. Many will now be planning their marketing strategies and activities for the ‘new normal’.
Never has it been more important to reach your target audience with branding and messages that will resonate and be memorable. While digital marketing should certainly be a core component of any marketing strategy, if you want to be seen and heard above the digital din, then it’s important to utilise the power of print.
Here's why:
Digital channels are oversaturated
Digital channels have become increasingly cluttered and noisy. If you don’t want your content to get lost in the ephemeral digital clutter of today’s online world, then print is your ally. Prints ability to rise above the noise of digital channels and reach your target audience is not surprising when you consider that the average business professional receives 121 emails per day.
Print marketing works seamlessly alongside digital campaigns. Which is why 94% of all multi-channel marketing campaigns feature print as an element (1). Print also delivers greater results when used in a multi-channel campaign, boosting results by a staggering 62%! (2) The trick is to make sure your printed media ties in with your online presence – reaffirming branding and messaging, and including appropriate social media links, websites and hashtags.
It’s personal
Where printing used to be deemed costly, advances in digital printing technology means we can now print short runs, which reduces obsolescence, but it also delivers the capability to personalise each piece. Engaging with customers and prospects on a personal level, generates interest and sales, and builds trust on a level that intangible and impersonal digital channels can’t replicate.
Security and privacy is a big concern for internet users. Printed material overcomes any issues of trust associated with digital channels, and if the option is available, many people prefer something physical and authentic.
It’s memorable
If designed correctly, the aesthetics of print marketing are proven to be far easier to process and engage with than its digital counterparts. People tend to hold onto and digest physical print for longer than they do a fleeting digital message. As a result the messages and content that are presented in print have a far longer lasting impact. According to a report by Canadian neuromarketing firm TrueImpact “Direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than digital media, suggesting that it is both easier to understand and more memorable.”
Physically holding something that has been printed is proven to stimulate senses – more specifically your ‘haptic’ memory (touch memory), which is the most lasting form of emotional connection. The intimacy of holding something tangible also means we assign more value to the item, which is why corporate merchandise remains so popular.
In an increasingly digital world print should definitely still have a place in your marketing mix. Truly savvy companies will combine digital marketing with print to create unstoppable multi-channel marketing campaigns.
If you’d like to talk to us about your options for printed materials or corporate merchandise, then we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch today!
(1) Canon 2013
(2) Brandscience 2012
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