Both print and digital messages have their place in the communication between your brand and its target audience.  Through a combination of print and digital communication you’re increasing your message’s reach and frequency, which ultimately will enable your marketing campaign to see higher results.

One of the advantages of including print in your marketing mix is print is more likely to be read by your target audience.  From direct mail’s 85 percent read rate to a magazine’s 45+ minute engagement rate, print is not only read, it’s remembered.  In fact, a recent study found that print, followed by television, was the most memorable form of communication with about 60 percent of people remembering a printed message after just one encounter with the message.

Additionally, an Encore Media study showed that only 20 percent of the U.S. population has ever clicked on a digital banner ad, much less engaged with the content that was embedded into your banner’s message.

In addition to print’s ability to cut through the digital clutter and engage its intended audience, print also has a high response rate when compared to digital media such as email.  While direct mail has a higher cost per lead, direct mail has a much higher return on investment than email.  A Print in the Mix study showed that, in the B2B sector, for every $167 spent on a lead, that direct mail’s return on investment is just over $2,000 per lead.

There is value in both print and digital media and when the two communication tools are combined together, they create a campaign with both a high engagement rate and a high response rate.

Timothy Freeman
President
Print & Graphic Communications Association