Print marketing works to bring in new customers and bring back your previous customers. Furthermore, non-profit organizations bring in more donations through direct mail than any other form of communication according to Print is Big —  Seventy-eight percent of donations are received in response to a direct mailing from a nonprofits (Print is Big.)

Even with tablets, smartphones and laptops, 96 percent of the news is still read on paper according to the website, Print is Big.  Additionally, 80 percent of direct mail is read or skimmed by its recipients and over 60 percent of online brand searches are instigated by print messages received by consumers — from direct mail, to flyers, to magazine and newspaper articles and ads.

Furthermore, when print is combined with its digital counterpart through QR codes and pURLs, the printed piece becomes more engaging.  QR code usage has been on-the-rise for the past three years.  People are scanning codes to receive discounts, special offers, additional information about your brand’s product or even to sign up for more information.

Recently, the New York Times as launched its first QR code marketing campaign to emphasize both its digital and printed counterparts.  They’ve teams up with a popular bakery, Crumbs, which will offer special deals and give-a-ways to those who scan the New York Times QR codes.

“The QR code (campaign) allowed us to set up a one-step shortcut right to the deal page where you can get your cupcake voucher. The thinking here was to encourage conversions by making the process as smooth as possible,” says Francesca Sacasa, the Project Manager of Business Development at New York Magazine.

More and more businesses are finding that QR codes are an easy way to bridge the gaps between your print and digital messages — making both forms of communication more engaging and more powerful.

Timothy Freeman
President
Print & Graphic Communications Association