7
Reasons Why Print Is Critical To Your Marketing Mix
Putting
the media mix together
There
are lot's of ways to get your message to your customers, be it email,
advertising, social media, video, etc. But as consumers are assaulted
with more and more digital advertising and marketing mediums
companies are seeing better results through print media. All
companies must walk a fine line of making sure that their media mix
incorporates both print and digital, but in our digitally dominated
world more companies are finding that consumers are responding more
to their print advertising - ultimately resulting in more sales. Here
are some interesting things for your business to consider as you plan
for your upcoming marketing strategies.
1.)
Feel the difference
There
are as many benefits to print as pages in a magazine. Perhaps the
most important is tangibility. With all good publications there's a
feeling of substance, of stimulating the senses. New studies indicate
that hapatics or tactile sensory marketing is one of the most
important and under utilized ways to effectively reach customers.
Among the reasons why many people prefer print is to do with the feel
of the paper, the way they can fold a leaflet, or cut out and keep
vouchers for easy use. The quality of the paper and the high image
resolution also play their part, as well as the ability to be put
down and picked up again easily. Reading print demands the full
attention of the reader and provides the means to escape today's
'always-on' culture. The lack of distractions when reading print
allows the reader to focus fully on the editorial and advertising
content, the ultimate print moment coming when the reader is fully
engrossed in a substantial article in a newspaper or magazine. Let's
not overlook the power of direct mail, postcards, flyers, newsletters
and brochures either. These are important take-away pieces that
consumers tend to hold onto, as opposed to online digital marketing
where just hitting the "Delete" button on email is much
more common.
2.)
Add print, add power
In
many ways, print is the ideal marketing medium. It's available in
both large and small numbers, can be accessed easily, is engaging,
versatile and creative. Each type of print media has its own unique
quality and role in their readers' lives. For newspapers, they become
part of their readers' day as they educate and inform with
credibility and trust, while consumer and customer magazines create
engagement through entertaining content. Direct mail uses its ability
to gain access to people's homes and lives to deliver a targeted
sales message, while door drops have an enviable reach and ROI.
Finally, catalogues provide inspiration for customers before leading
them online to make the purchase. On their own, each channel fulfils
a vital marketing role. When combined with other media, they are a
highly effective force for any campaign, for any brand.
3.)
Making the connection
The
key to successful marketing is engagement, drawing your customer in
through attention grabbing content before rewarding them with a
worthwhile offer or service. Print media works because it understands
the needs of the customer. By picking up the print medium, they're
investing time and attention, actively seeking entertainment and
information rather than allowing it to wash over them. Print media
offers a host of content areas: news, information, education,
inspiration, special offers and entertainment, all of which generate
engagement between the reader and the advertised brands. Whether it's
a retailer in a door-drop leaflet, an art auction in a catalogue,
spring fashion in a consumer magazine, a car advertisement in a
newspaper, or an article about energy savings in a customer magazine,
all branded content is print-appropriate and gives a boost to any
campaign.
4.)
The concentration gap
Recent
neurological research has identified differences in ways people
process information presented in print and on screen. These studies
have found that readers of print maintain their capacity to read
longer articles since the reading situation doesn't offer so many
distractions. This capacity - called deep reading - also cultivates
deep thinking. On the digital side, it's also argued that people who
read a lot of online material become used to bite-sized pieces of
information and are distracted easily, losing the capacity to focus
for a long period on a single subject.
5.)
Building the relationship
Print
media has a close relationship with its readers. Indeed, print is
often called the 'me-medium', as it can become an integral part of
its reader's world. But this relationship extends beyond the initial
read-through. Because print is easily put down and picked up, it
sticks around in the household or workplace, read again and again by
others that come across it. People also have certain reading rituals,
so they will return to a publication a number of times to take in all
the information it has, information that's both authoritative and
reliable. Whether lean-back or lean-forward, print has the capability
to build a relationship with the reader because of its content. This
content is planned and created by experiencededitors, who provide
information and features that are both relevant and interesting for
readers.
6.)
Mass and one-to-one contact
Print
media exists in many forms: from mass media (hundreds to millions of
copies) to one-to-one (the personalized version). Modern digital
presses offer marketers, media and advertising professionals the
ability to print entire publications based on the profile and needs
of their consumers. The ability to personalize print collateral also
adds to the effectiveness of the medium as consumers prefer a
tailor-made approach to the generic. Such flexibility and
adaptability allows the marketer and brand owner to choose exactly
the right print media for their brand.
7.)
Media-mix integration
An
effective marketing campaign works best when print is used with other
media as one element of an integrated solution. Adding magazines to a
mix of TV and internet increases brand favorability by 44% and
purchase intention by 15%. (Dynamic Logic, 2009). The combination of
online and newspapers also increases effectiveness, with brand
engagement 26% higher than using just print or online (FT, 2011).
Print media can now offer quick and simple ways to access digital
content using 'bridging technologies' such as QR codes, Augmented
Reality and near-field communication. These innovations form a bridge
between print media and a brand's online space, inviting consumer
reaction, feedback and purchase, all via a Smartphone. Such
innovations increase the effectiveness of print media, as well as
enhancing the consumer experience. Newspapers are still the number
one medium for shaping public opinion. Their credibility, knowledge,
values and information-gathering skills remain a formidable force on
the high street, and with titles now separated into sections with
more lifestyle content, their potential for brands has increased
further - online and offline.
Print
marketing gives you the opportunity to "touch" your clients
in ways you may not have thought about before. So as you develop your
marketing campaign for the year, remember to incorporate print into
your mix!
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Telepathic
Graphics offers solutions for all of your print, large format,
mailing, creative and promotional product needs. Contact us today to
see how we can help you.
(919)
342-4603
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