By Tanya Fretheim, CEO
A few weeks ago, Lexie and I attended PRINTING United 2024 in Las Vegas. The expo drew more than 25,000 members of the printing community for a look at the industry’s latest trends, technologies, and applications.
We hit the jackpot. There seemed to be more action on the exhibit floor than in the casinos, from slick, four-color magazines being printed and bound in seconds to flashy Cybertrucks sporting futuristic vehicle wraps. Equally dazzling were all the finishing and embellishing options for turning print into a sensory experience—textured coatings, brilliant foils, special optical effects. Elvis even made an appearance to check out the latest in printed apparel and merch. As one exhibitor put it, “If you can put ink on it, it’s here!”
IT’S A SURE BET
Admittedly, seeing all that new, high-tech production printing technology was exciting. But what was even more exciting was seeing proof of print’s staying power as a marketing and communications medium. Even (or especially) in an era when digital tactics feel like the default, print still makes a big impression and retains a remarkable ability to convert.
In case you’re a bit skeptical, here’s just a sampling of statistics that prove the point:
- 73% of consumers said they prefer receiving print advertisements. (Epsilon)
- 82% of consumers trust print advertisements the most when making a purchase decision. (MarketingSherpa)
- 80% of millennials look forward to receiving print advertisements in the mail. (USPS)
- 66% of consumers act on direct mail. (SG360°)
- 40% of respondents would be more likely to do business with a retailer after receiving printed advertising. (Mailbox Merchants)
Those sure look like good odds to us, which is why we tell all our clients that including print in their marketing mix is never a gamble. You can target specific audiences, flex the media to your message, track your print marketing results, send and trigger printed ads the same way you send emails, and more. And, far from being mutually exclusive, print and digital are a powerful pair. For example, using print to drive traffic to digital platforms via QR codes or personalized URLs delivers a seamless cross-channel experience.
IT’S A BIG DEAL
And you can bet a seamless cross-channel experience is exactly what people are expecting from marketers. In fact, according to a recent article in Printing Impressions magazine, using print like direct mail alongside email, social media, and mobile platforms will be “essential.”
Coming up with a winning combination that makes the most of print’s power in tandem with digital, however, requires calculated judgments and refined strategies. Understanding the strengths of print—as well as the challenges related to its design parameters, physical attributes, cost-effective production, personalization potential, and environmental sustainability—isn’t something you can bluff.
DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY
As luck would have it, that’s where we bring valuable expertise to the table. Our creative team knows print backward and forward, as well as when and how to deploy it effectively. They understand its unique benefits—from higher trust and engagement rates to the ability to create a tangible, memorable experience—and how to leverage them.
They also know that just because you can do almost anything with print these days, that doesn’t mean you should. Design choices like paper, ink type, printing process, finishing, etc., are all complex decisions that benefit from knowledge—the more knowledge, the better.
We also help craft unified customer journeys between offline and online engagement, with integrated, dynamic content such as personalized offers based on individual behaviors, needs, and even technology preferences. And our strategies continue to pay off. This month, for example, our work was recognized with Platinum and Gold MarCom Awards for two personalized Canon direct mail pieces that connected recipients to dynamic digital content and video.
GO ALL-IN
Like high-speed inkjet printing and AI-powered everything, print’s role in omnichannel marketing will keep evolving and the stakes for marketers will keep rising. You can roll the dice and decide to depend solely on digital to connect with and convert your audiences. Or, you can go with a sure bet and go all-in on adding print to your marketing mix.
We’d love to give you a “hand!” Let’s talk. It’s your call.
