The beauty of print is that it’s now become a medium that is underused. That means that, to an audience who is faced with digital marketing all day, the sight of a physical printed communication holds new weight. Alongside the cheap, unreliable information that saturates the market at the moment, it proves that the company that commissioned it cares. It suggests permanence, investment and thought. It enables a company to curate a more ‘human’ presence outside of the strategised online space. Research has found that forms of physical media, such as cards and mailouts, increased feelings of connectivity more than online strategies. Alongside this, with the right design and content, engagement is instant and action is often not far behind. It allows for complete focus, without the distraction of a notification, a scroll or another advert. In the event that there is a distraction, print media is always easily accessible to be picked up and perused again.
The benefits don’t stop there, however. With costs per click rising and print becoming more accessible, there is a shift in the balance that is making print a cost-effective option. What’s more, the returns on investment are often even better. This isn’t to say the two are mutually exclusive. The best campaigns are ones that use both print and digital media together as complementary services, providing multiple touch points across the user experience and sending a tailored message with each. That way, when your printed product hits the doormat, your client has already seen your name and understands what you do.
Print can encompass everything from business cards and mailouts to the exhibition stands that stop you in your tracks at conferences. Some are essentials, some are niche, and some are to be used alongside a strategy to get the best return. Whatever you choose, working with a design agency that doesn’t just do things digitally is vital. Print design is a different game altogether, with restrictions and considerations that many digital designers haven’t faced.
Print marketing has been in the shadow of Digital for too long. The intention, credibility and tactile experience of printed media is regaining the strength it once had, carving a niche it never had when it saturated the market.
