Written by Matthew Parker, Independent Print Procurement Expert.
Can you imagine apple pie without custard?
Can you imagine Laurel without Hardy?
Gin without tonic?
A computer without a screen?
Can you imagine communication without print?
For some years print has been an unloved form of communication. E-communication has been all the rage. Marketing and sales teams dream ofcommunicating with all customers purely by e-mail and web advertising. But now the tide is turning.
Print is back in fashion
There has been a shift is the way that agencies and marketing teams think about print communication. Sure, electronic communication will still retain a vital role in connect with customers and prospects. But there is a growing realisation that not everyone wants to connect via e-mail. There are still a sizeable proportion of people who connect with print communication.
There are some areas where e-communications can’t be used
Think of all the areas where print is still essential. Packaging, labels, exhibition stands and most signs all require print. E-communications won’t help if you want to connect with people through these mediums: you need print.
What will happen to your company if you don’t engage with print?
If you don’t use print you will fail to create a relationship with at least part of your potential audience. Therefore you will fail to achieve as much with your marketing budget. And you will feel helpless as you fail to achieve your business targets.
Print is an extra channel that will help you achieve your business goals. Using print will help you create new customer relationships. Using print will enable you to have better control over your marketing, branding and communication.
How can you prove that people still want print?
Have a look at this recent study by DM News and Pitney Bowes . The study shows that print has a very strong attraction to consumers. And this recent report shows many major companies see that e-mail marketing is failing to attract consumers. These companies are turning back to print and direct mail.
Isn’t print just for an older audience?
A 2010 study conducted by ICOM showed a preference for receiving offline (i.e. print) communication. ICOM say the preference for print was two to three times greater than online communication. The ICOM study focussed a large part of their survey on 18-34 year olds. ICOM went so far as to say:
“A key takeaway from this research is that marketers targeting coveted 18-34 year olds who are tempted to invest solely in social media could be missing a significant portion of their audience.”
But print is more expensive than e-communication
On a unit cost, e-mails are of course cheaper than print. But imagine that you sent out e-mails to the part of your audience that wanted print. The e-mails would get a near-zero conversion rate. But if you sent that same audience a printed item, you would achieve conversions. Suddenly e-mail looks expensive, and print is creating you more profit.
Make sure that print is still a part of your branding and marketing plans
Here are three things that you can do to ensure that you produce engaging print:
- Make sure you have finalised your branding
- Understand your target audience
- Contact a printer or a print consultant to help you create a print strategy to engage your audience
After all, you wouldn’t serve apple pie without custard so don’t create marketing without print.
To contact Mathew please email: print@printandprocurement.com or log onto http://www.printandprocurement.com/
Download Mathew's free e-book "Ten common print buying errors and what to do about them" - http://printandprocurement.co.uk/e-book/
To maximise your marketing effort, including print, within an integrated campaign contact CFL Marketing - www.cflmarketing.co.uk or call 01225 782669
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