Why Print Is Still Mightier than Digital

Are you one of the many businesses and agencies that believe digital marketing is the only way to go? It can be hard to ignore the power and reach of modern digital strategies – but an often overlooked option is still highly effective: print. 

Despite a shift towards reliance on technology, savvy marketers know that print can still play a powerful role in reaching customers, making an impression, and creating loyalty. Digital marketing might seem to have overtaken print marketing due to its sheer speed and convenience, but printed materials create tangible and meaningful connections with customers and bolster memorable experiences. 

Weighing print and digital media against one another isn’t an apples to apples comparison. Here are a few big reasons why print marketing makes the perfect addition to any well-rounded multi-channel approach. 

The Clear-Cut Benefits of Print Media

If you’ve been skeptical about using out-of-the-box methods like printed materials in your sales pipeline or campaigns, read on! First, let’s discuss why print should remain a cornerstone of any comprehensive marketing strategy.

Print media is tangible.

Print media is still a strong marketing contender for some very specific reasons, not least of which is that your audience can literally hold it in their hands. 

And get this: When consumers have access to a physical advertisement, they’re far more likely to take action for a few different reasons. 

First of all, print media is generally easier to understand at first glance and requires less brain power to process. Without the “benefit” of flashy videos, changing or morphing images, and other digital advertising additives, your print advertisements and media need to be more obvious, straightforward, and to-the-point from the get-go.

Secondly, print media leaves a more sophisticated impression with consumers and the vast majority consider it more trustworthy than digital advertisements. According to a 2017 survey conducted by Two Sides North America, the average person prefers to read books, magazines, and even newspapers in print over their digital counterparts. While more and more things seem to be going digital, this suggests that print is still king.

Print media elicits an emotional response.

Different parts of the brain light up when we view print media versus digital media. In a study conducted by the research agency Millward Brown, “Physical materials produced more brain responses connected with internal feelings.” 

While there’s a bit of overlap in how our brains process and respond to both digital and printed stimuli, the physical materials seem more “real” and leave a deeper imprint, which also leads us to recall them better. 

This emotional connection, however small, also leads people to keep printed content longer than they would something digitally similar. For example, we hold on to physical coupons, newspapers, magazines, and flyers longer than we do their email counterparts (and we completely scroll past digital advertisements on social media and websites). If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind.

And for that reason…

Print media is more memorable.

Because of its physicality and the emotions tangibility evokes, printed media has the potential to have a longer lasting impact on people than digital marketing. For starters, it’s much easier for someone to remember an ad if they can hold it or refer back to it later. A study conducted by the US Postal Service revealed that consumers could remember print ads they’d seen a week later with surprising accuracy. 

The researchers concluded that “[p]hysical ads, though slower to get one’s attention at first exposure, leave a longer lasting impact for easy recall when making a purchase decision.”

Why Digital Marketing Can Lead to Marketing Disappointment

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in:  Digital media shouldn’t (and can’t) be your only approach to marketing.

We live in a distractible world. In fact, the average person needs to see an ad at least 5 times before they really take notice of it and read it, and nearly 20 times before they actually decide to take action.

With those kinds of numbers, it’s no wonder the return on investment for digital marketing is so low. Sure, digital marketing is (comparatively) inexpensive, but what are you getting back for your ad spend?

Add back in the fact that the average consumer considers digital media to be far less trustworthy than print media, and you’re likely flushing thousands of dollars down the drain if you fail to integrate print marketing into your strategy.

Integrating print media into your marketing plan is essential to an effective strategy. 

The numbers don’t lie: Print media provides an element of tangibility and trust that digital alone simply cannot offer. People are more likely to remember and respond to print materials over any digital media. 

If a high return on investment is your goal, print really does translate into higher rates of conversion. The value and trust afforded by print media is unmatched. 

Ready to put your marketing strategy into action? Let us do the lifting. At Commerce Press, we work with creatives in all different industries to help people reach their goals.