With all the discussion about the rise of digital communication and the potential demise of print advertising, it is natural for any of us who work in the graphic and print areas to feel anxious.
But, the fact is, communication is communication and there is room for both and used strategically, they compliment each other.
Yes, print advertising is seeing a sharp decline due to the rise of digital. But, there are still areas where print can engage audiences effectively, especially when the combination of digital and print media are used.
Here are some reasons why print marketing can stay healthy in a digital world.
Brand recognition.
Print materials are an ideal platform to gain recognition for your brand. By placing your logo’s visual image on all print marketing ensures that it will be constantly seen on stationery, brochures, business cards, and billboards.
Print is a tactile product.
Magazines, brochures, signage, billboards, and flyers engage your audience in a purely physical way. They are made to be handled, engaged with, spend time with and kept. Because they stay in your office, home, library or bulletin board, they are going to be seen over and over again and are likely to drive the brand message and create a memory of the brand in the future.
Legitimacy
Printed materials give a feeling of trust and legitimacy. Magazines and newspapers have readers who are loyal to their content and even if there is also an online version, a percentage of readers will choose the print material. A person reading printed material, will take maybe 45 minutes and become more engaged in the process, whereas someone flipping through a website takes as little as 15 seconds. How much can someone retain in 15 seconds?
What is important for print to work effectively is to know where to place it and to integrate it with digital marketing. We live in a world where clients and customers are used to switching between the two, so by adding social media icons, a reason to go your website address, a call to action on all print materials, you will be making it easy for your readers to get the best of both worlds.