Is print marketing still relevant in an internet driven world?

19 Sep Is print marketing still relevant in an internet driven world?

Who would’ve thought that everything from a bar of soap to a blu-ray disc will be available to us with just the click of a button! Who would’ve thought that both people and businesses would have two personas, virtual and real and who would’ve thought that customers would be spoilt for choice with information that can grant them more power than most emperors of yesteryear put together. A tiny spark called the internet has completely transformed the idea of life and existence. This statement also stands true for businesses. Markets have become so crowded that the only way for businesses to breathe in this environment is to come up with innovative methods and techniques both in product development and marketing. The ideation process for both these departments has undergone a total revamp in the past decade. Digital and social media marketing has certainly taken over the world and with the invention of new gadgets like smartphones and tablets; things are only going to undergo more changes.

This brings us to the question of whether all is lost for the print marketing industry. As much as it sounds sensible and rational to come to the conclusion that this statement is true, it isn’t! Here is why print marketing is still thriving and will continue to do so for a long time to come.

Works on the Senses

Kindles and e-books have not replaced hard covers and paperbacks just yet. The fundamental reason behind their substance is the effect they have on the senses. Visual appeal aside, the sense of touch takes the advertising and marketing effect to a whole new level. Ads in books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, leaflets, pamphlets, cups, key-chains and clothing are perceptible and tangible and tend to remain both physically and in memory for a long time.

Helps with Retention

Patience and attention span have reached a new low. It is hard to engage customers for more than a few seconds. Most online campaigns suffer due to this fact. The majority of customers, unless they are desperately in need of a product, skim through ads and content. No more than a few seconds are spent, even on quality content. Print Marketing on the other hand, holds attention due to its tangible and engaging nature.

Stronger Impact When Personalized

Social media and email campaigns also employ the concept of personalization, but the impact of personalized print media is much higher due to the recognition of the fact that it takes more effort on the part of the campaigner to personalize tangible items like business cards or coupons. The feeling of being identified specially to be a part of a company’s customer pool definitely enhances the brand name in the mind of the customer. The concept of brand identity creation and projection gets a significant boost with print media.

In Conjunction with New Gadgets and Techniques

Print media effectively interacts with its digital counterparts through QR codes. Including these codes on the print campaign ensures that customers who happen to glance through the print ad also view your website and this in turn greatly improves the chance of sales conversions. The same can be said about including social media page addresses in print media to deepen interaction and widen reach.

Stand Out In the Crowd

Print media has become rare which makes utilization of this technique unique. This approach thus helps businesses stand out in the crowded world of digital and television campaigns. People are less likely to perceive such campaigns as intrusive, unlike when they are constantly bombarded by pop up ads or promotional e-mails.

Print marketing complements and supplements other marketing campaigns and enhances the reach and effect of the overall campaign thus making it possible for companies to stand bright and stand different in this internet era. If you are looking for a marketing consultant, we at St Albans Marketing are confident that our effective combination of both print and web marketing can make your investment worthwhile.

Call the team on 01727 223310 for more details.