Print is still king
Andrew Scott, Purplex managing director, discusses why, despite the myth, print marketing and advertising is still alive and kicking, and why it should play an integral part in your marketing strategy.
As the digital world continues to develop at a rapid rate, it’s easy to assume that print is dead. To paraphrase Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It: “I know these are hard times for print. I read it on the internet.”
The rapid rise of online is set to continue in 2021 due to the new digital age fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic, and here at Purplex we are building more websites than ever and investing heavily in our digital and social media department.
But print marketing will still have a valuable role to play. In fact, far from dying out, print has arguably never been more alive.
Despite digital playing a huge part in our everyday lives, according to Harvard University, 89% of adults trusted print more than they trusted online content.
Research suggests that mass digital consumption has meant that our trust in digital could be on the wane and we are falling in love with print again.
Print publications have spent many years establishing their reputation and credibility, and readers still hold their content to a higher standard than digital publications, meaning they automatically trust the information inside.
It’s no surprise that, despite being huge, global, digital brands, both Google and Facebook are still some of the biggest print advertisers out there.
From the time we wake up to when we go to bed, we are bombarded with digital information. Print helps us focus.
Research shows that information online is often skim read, or we flick between stories and features as they all vie for attention at once. However, when we read a magazine, our brains are engaged for a much longer period and we are fully attentive to the page, thus building a connection with what we are reading or a branded message.
The physical format of a newspaper or magazine must be handled, creating a sensory experience with the reader, and it stays relevant for longer, as it can be put down and then picked up any time to be viewed again and again.
Psychologists at Temple University have also confirmed the power of print, finding that physical marketing such as direct mail, newspapers and leaflets led to a stronger emotional response than digital ads.
The research also found that print tended to stay longer in peoples’ memories as they were able to retain information better.
Even the common view that young people have turned their back on print is being debunked, as a recent Royal Mail survey also concluded that they are more likely to take their time with print ads they receive in the mail, rather than a pop up that interrupts what they’re reading on their computer, with direct mail 18% more memorable to young people than the average sample.
Strengthening your brand has never been more important than after coming through a global crisis, and print marketing/advertising should play a central role in your marketing strategy.
Print offers an avenue to cut through the noise and build trust in your brand as there is less competition, allowing your brand’s message to stand out from the crowd and not be ignored.
Visibility is also key when it comes to marketing and building your brand, and you need to be where your customers are. That’s why you must sit across all channels when it comes to your marketing, and why print is an essential part of that – and always will be.