Why does print matter?
You would be forgiven for thinking that the arrival of digital marketing pretty much annihilated the need for traditional print media. After all, everyone accesses information on their smartphones and tablets these days. Many campaigns are now run on social media and email but what about printed media? Despite the many advantages of digital marketing, there are just as many for print and it would be a mistake to think otherwise. The stats tell us that 82% of consumers trust print adverts the most when making their buying decision. Combine that with a digital advert and it increases the effectiveness of an online campaign by 400%. That’s a chunky number! And it’s just one of the reasons why print is still relevant. Here are some others.
It's tangible
The ability to physically hold something in your hand is appealing. A piece of direct mail has durability, it will sit on a worktop or table and can keep being referred to whereas an email might be opened but is quickly forgotten or deleted. A physical piece keeps a business front of mind for customers far longer than a digital advert or email. Which leads us nicely on to building a brand…
It’s brand building
Establishing and building a brand properly cannot be underestimated. Using printed materials will help position a brand in a way digital branding cannot. A well-executed print piece will often result in consumers becoming emotionally invested in a brand. Take packaging for example. A Tiffany package arrives in that blue branded box, complete with white ribbon. Inside is the item in branded tissue paper accompanied by branded card. It creates a sensory experience that has a positive emotional impact on the consumer thereby building brand loyalty. Tiffany have spent years crafting print to build and position themselves as a high-end brand and it has worked.
In print we trust
Between emails and social media, we all see a lot of adverts. But it’s hard to tell online what is real and what’s fake. If you’ve taken the time to invest in a piece of print gives your business an air of legitimacy that digital ads just can’t convey. Additionally, print arrived long before TV and radio, so it has earned its reputation for being trustworthy.
Making it personal
We’ve talked before about the arrival of personalisation and how important it is for brands. When printing direct mail, you can be specific and personal – use the customer’s name and send it directly to their home address and they’ll be more likely to give it a read. We work with printers who understand customer demographics and can help ensure your print project is going to the right audience at the right time.
Working in partnership
While we will always encourage clients to use print, we would also encourage a digital campaign to run alongside it to increase impact and effectiveness. One of our favourite examples of a joint campaign is the Louvres Abu Dhabi “Highway Gallery”.
In 2017, the Louvre in Abu Dhabi was the first universal museum to open in the Arab world. As part of an initiative to build an audience in a country that is largely unfamiliar with museum culture, Louvre launched a campaign called ‘Highway Gallery’ .
The Highway Gallery consisted of billboards placed intermittently along the highway that brings visitors from Du Bois to Abu Dhabi. The highway is normally a long trip without any scenery, and it’s well-known as a long and boring drive. Louvre’s “Highway Gallery” consisted of oversized billboard-like reproductions of classic masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait.
The museum took the experience one step further by equipping each billboard with a solar-powered FM transmitter that synchronized with the area’s top 3 radio stations. To engage, drivers or passengers only had to tune in to one of the stations.
Then, while driving up to and past each piece of artwork, viewers were treated to a 30-second audio clip that introduced the artist and the piece.
The results of this joint campaign were brilliant;
- Increased brand social mentions by 1180%
- Increase media impressions from less than 330,000 to 35 million
- Increased visits by 165%
Louvre’s Highway Gallery was displayed outdoors for one month, yet it skyrocketed their social media presence and in-person traffic.*
*source - https://medium.com
Conclusion
At a time when organisations are encouraged to be more and more sustainable, the importance and impact of printed materials is often questioned. Here at Bright Green we are committed to working with printers who are as environmentally friendly as possible.
A successful campaign will incorporate both printed material and a digital presence. We work with clients and printers alike to create brilliant print marketing campaigns. If you have a marketing campaign you’d like to see come to life, talk to us about how we can help.