In an ever-growing digital world, how can print marketing compete? For one, it’s more expensive than digital ads and two, it takes more time to develop and execute. In such a fast-paced society, is this channel worth the production time and resources?

With the events of 2020, we have seen the world literally stop and everyone for once, is at home with just those important around them. Consumers have had the chance to do many things that their otherwise “normal” schedules would not allow them to complete so thoughtfully and correctly, as evenings and weekends become the rush to get what needs to be done, done. A walk out to the mailbox becomes a piece of the day that many find pleasant and leisurely, as it is now someone’s “break time” from their work or e-learning duties. Actually taking time to look through the mail and examine the pieces is revitalizing the print industry.

What else can print marketing offer 2021?

Informed Delivery® by USPS is a great tool for businesses to invest in, as consumers expecting certain pieces of mail or packages review their email very carefully. The post office will scan each piece of mail that is expected to arrive in your mailbox that day so you can be prepared for fun items such as sales flyers or postcards, and brace yourself for the bills. It will also provide tracking information for items coming through USPS.

What direct marketing professionals would be foolish to not take advantage of is work with your mail house to include a digital supplementary component to your physical campaign piece. In a consumers daily digest of what is to come in their mailbox they will receive a scanned greyscale picture of that individual piece of mail – the marketer can supply a ride along digital ad that matches the campaign content along with a link to redirect the consumer to pre-determined pages. The marketer can also supply a digital piece that replaces the scanned image PLUS the ride along image to enhance all pieces of the campaign.

As of August 2020, Informed Delivery has an open rate of 86% and click-through rate of over 6% from over 29 million subscribers. That is a great piece of the pie from consumers that you feel that you may not reach.

Types of Print Formats

What is that your company is looking to utilize print for? Is it a new magazine article, full catalog, promotional stand-alone pieces? Choosing the correct format of your printed materials is a crucial strategic step in effectively making print work the best for your brand.

When surveying vendors on their capabilities, make sure they have a wide range of specialties that encompass your company’s need will keep costs minimal with a one-stop-shop vendor.

What can print do effectively to rival digital?

Lasting Impressions

There should be a small sense that the two channels of print and digital should be autonomous from each other, but in order for print to still keep their hand in the game, they should connect.

Utilizing strong graphics within the print piece, will bring a sense that the user actually may NOT be on their phone, tablet or computer, but staring at a print piece. The use of similar graphics can connect the two styles with a consistent design throughout the campaign. However, layout is a place where the differentiation can be strongly used. A half page ad is not the same as a digital ad.

Storytelling

Just as we say your online media should tell a story to your consumers – so should print. Finding new and interesting ways to tell stories through print will entice the audience to continue using that channel. This can be through the use of graphics and even content. How do you drive the audience to your goal? Is it through different perceived texture made with the imagery or is it through the CTA (call to action)?

In the digital space, you can simply click on an ad or item and it directs your straight to the next destination. With print, extra steps need to be taken, such as “go to www… to learn more” – how can this be told through print to make the transition smooth for the consumer?

Keep in mind that your company ensures the stories told through each medium is consistent to stay on brand.

Quality

With print, we want the audience to interact with the piece in different ways than someone seeing an ad on social media or browsing an online retailer. This is a tangible piece of marketing and design that needs to be felt and the right quality of paper mixed with the correct effects of coating, embossing, and ink will have an immediate effect on conversions.

Your designer and/or the vendor can help you choose the correct paper and effects to make your piece POP!

What arenas can your company utilize to print in?

B2B Printing

When I was working for a large printer, just a few years ago, the number of projects for B2B businesses was outstanding. Large, 500+ page catalogs for industrial companies and quarterly 50+ page catalogs for office supplies were some of the main clients. Computer screens hurt eyes and the ease of marking a page to come back to, makes scrolling simpler for purchasing departments.

If your company works solely with other companies and not the individual consumer, the use of print materials weighs very heavily in your favor. However, this does not mean you can rely on the past of outdated layouts and design because purchasing software does make the transactions fast and easy as well.

Tradeshows, Conferences and the In-Store Experience

While this may be difficult for consumers to feel the full affect now with health guidelines, this is where print can really shine! The overall experience heavily relies on what the attendee sees right in front of them in order to make a decisions of which session to attend and the needed information for speakers, location needs and FAQs. This can and should still be connected with a digital experience, such as surveys, polls, etc. for quick data to highlight at the end of a conference to the attendees, but the printed conference packet can pack a solid punch.

Also, what is amazing about these arenas is that large format comes greatly in to play. Large banners (tear drop, retractable, etc.) are a wonderful showcase of design and draws attention to your booth or what you wish the audience to learn from your collateral.

Retailers are finding it harder to drive people in to the stores for purchases rather than online shopping (and this year will be no exception) and this is where print can be fun. Whether it’s large screen prints or an interactive display – the impression of your store atmosphere is a key element to bringing in the customer. A mixture of large format pieces, with small printed materials will be a great strategic use of print in order to help guide the customer through their shopping experience.

Magazines

Magazine subscriptions are still contending in the marketplace. AARP has a subscription base of over

23 million for their magazine. Better Homes and Gardens and Costco have the third and fourth largest circulation at over 7 and 8 million, respectively. This is an enormous feat for a medium that everyone perceives to be dying.

Different sized ads and their placements are crucial in making sure the targeted audience sees your piece in the intended way. Using the elements above will help ensure your brand’s goals.

In Summary

Print is not a lost art and quite frankly, my favorite media channel. These pieces will take more time to execute and costs more, but the reward of holding the finished piece in your hands is an amazing sense of accomplishment.

At Colleen Eakins Design, we can help you design the needed print collateral for your story.