Making an online presence known has become so vital step for every business that the power of print marketing is often overlooked. There are such corners where print marketing has more reach than digital. But by using both modes of marketing, a business can thrive just like print has not just survived but thrived in this competitive world.
Types of Printed Marketing Materials
- Brochures
- Business cards
- Direct mail
- Catalogs
- Letterhead & envelopes
- Presentation folders
- Promotional products
- Banners
- Wall decals
- Posters
- Logos
- Newsletters
- Postcards
- Tradeshow displays
- Thank you cards
Importance of Print Marketing in Digital Era
- Response Rate
A growing response rate indicates that the ad is being well-perceived by the target audience. Studies have revealed that print marketing’s response rate has increased by 14% since 2004. According to a report of 2019, there was an estimated growth of 1% each year.
This indicates that even after an evident rise in businesses using digital platforms for advertising, more than print– it still ranks in yielding a higher response rate. According to various surveys, email marketing response rates have declined over the years. One of the major reasons is that a mailbox is filled with 100+ emails every day and an individual neglects many that are unnecessary to them.
- Return On Investment (ROI)
According to a recent static report, there is as high as 112% Return On Investment (ROI) via print advertising. There is a 28% purchase and spend as well for everyone who received a print advertisement, maybe in the form of a catalog, flyer or pamphlet.
The percentage of how many users actually read the physically printed pamphlet than digital mail is still higher by 70-80%. This is because individuals enjoy the pamphlets being given to them, considering they are important to their business. There are also times when small glossy pamphlets or flyers come along with daily printed newspapers which is a sure shot way to attract the readers to know about their brand or business.
- Web Traffic
There are so many things that can be achieved when both modes of advertisement- print and digital are worked in tandem. When web traffic is one’s goal, the ads don’t have to be run on a digital basis only. There are chances for the customer to visit the brand’s store online upon recovering the marketing materials. It is said that 44% of them take the action but it rises to 57% when the consumer receives mail from the same brand. It provokes them to go and visit the website and look for something suitable for them– ending up spending more than half an hour on the same.
- Gain New Audience
Digital media cannot reach every corner of the world whereas print media can. There are still those rural areas that are deprived of many modern-day facilities. But print completes that absence. Imagine your digital ads reaching to millions of people, while the print helps to cover the remaining population. This makes the target audience circle of a business more vast, garnering more attention and audiences.
- Build Trust
The overflowing of scams and fake news is leading to users being more trusted by the print media. It has proved to be a powerful tool to build trust among the target audiences. Trust is a vital part of every business, whether small or big. They trust the print media for accuracy, and valuable information that shapes the brand as a credible and reliable source for all people.
- Brand Identity- Persona
Print media is not there just for distributing pamphlets, billboards or flyers, business cards are also a part of print media. Once exchanged, the other party has it and gets reminded of it every time they see it. It helps to create a brand identity, either with the help of a logo, a person, a brand ambassador or a certain unique aspect of the brand.
By using strategic font, color, logo and messaging form, we can try to create a memorable image in the customers’ minds.
- Reminder- Direct Mails
The ads that were seen on social media while enjoying some reels can easily be forgotten and lost. But print media, such as direct mail, can be easily recovered or reminded of, again, with the help of print media.
There may have been times when a direct mail or lost pamphlet was recovered from the bag, under the bed or in a shopping bag and there it was! A sudden plan to visit that store, either on the web or in person. Hence, getting reminded of the ad and taking action on it has higher chances in the case of print rather than digital media.
Example of A Successful Direct Mail Campaign
This is the perfect example for all of us to understand the power of print media when used strategically:
KitKat Chunky Print Media Campaign
In the year 2012, Nestle ran a campaign for which it also received the Wood Pencil Award at D&AD (Design & Advertisement) awards. Nestle issued postcards that were left behind in their mailbox which has the format of “sorry we miss you” which used to be sent behind instead of packages that were too big for the letterbox by the British Postmen. In that card, there were details filled in like name, address and check box where it was mentioned, ‘your package couldn’t get delivered because it’s too chunky for your letterbox’. At the bottom, with the photo of KitKat Chunky, it was mentioned– ‘To collect your free (Image of KitKat Chunky), take this card to (address of a store).
This print campaign encouraged the customer to go to the nearest store and avail of their free KitKat Chunky. This print campaign had a positive result because it was directly communicated with the customers–making them feel important, valued and critical for the KitKat’s business.
Note: The postcard was added with the brand’s touch– KitKat themed, which was a sure-shot way to attract the consumer.
Conclusion
It is not about which mode of marketing is preferable for the brand, it is about how you can balance both of them and yield effective results out of them. Hence, the article is on the importance of print marketing ‘in’ a digital world, not ‘against’. Just like we humans seek for the other half, print media can be considered as the other half of the digital media. A blend of marketing that can give positive outputs both for the brand or business and the customer.
