Print isn’t dead

These days it‘s all digital this and digital that. So where does print stand in this new landscape? The answer is where it always was. Front and centre.

Print has always been, and will always be an essential tool in the marketeers arsenal. It may be even more relevant today than it ever has been. People want to pause and detox from the digital world more and more. Print doesn’t need batteries or a charge, so people can read or browse through it at a time and pace that suits them. It has a smaller carbon footprint than viewing websites on a device, is recycled/recyclable and uses eco-friendly inks and printing techniques.

You can’t send somebody an unsolicited email, but you can send a piece of direct mail to their home or business address, so GDPR isn’t really an issue. Also – they have a real ‘thing’ in their hands rather than something virtual that can be forgotten.

Click-through rates, opens, impressions, downloads and…dog-eared pages?

Developments in analytic capabilities have allowed marketers to understand the ROI of each initiative, and in an increasingly digital world, these results begin to pour in almost immediately after pressing go. This immediacy is satisfying, and in a race for consumers’ eyeballs (and wallets), it can be irresistible to double down on digital tactics, particularly when headlines tout the perpetual growth of mobile and ever-increasing consumer connectability.

However, online isn’t everything. We’ve seen the power of print rise, fall, and steady. The truth is, print marketing is a valuable medium. It’s tactile, it’s experiential and studies have shown that print methods demand consumer attention, are popular with ever-coveted millennials, and when paired with other methods, can even result in increased spend.

So why is there often a hesitation towards print marketing? Impatience. Measuring the success of print content requires control group testing, which takes a longer time and, admittedly, a bigger investment before knowing the return. However, regardless of the effort involved to ensure its worth, some brands are proving the value of print marketing and are seeing returns on these investments. Full magazines and catalogs, in particular, are enjoying a branded content moment and are proving that they are as much about product as they are about holistic communication.

For many brands, the key to driving sales is more complex than simply offering coupons or special offers. Instead, it’s about going beyond the commercial experience to aligning your brand with an ethos that drives a consumer towards your product.

Print. Alive and well. And thriving. Ask ec to quote your next print job today.

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