There are advantages of both print and digital marketing and when you create a campaign that utilizes both marketing methods your response rates can increase by an average of 33 percent.  But, today, we’re going to discuss three ways that print still beats digital marketing tactics.

It adds a little something extra. Digital is easy to send and, while that can be a benefit, consumers also know that it’s less thoughtful.  Print is more involved and has a cost associated with sending the message — which adds value to the message.  Sending personalized messages adds an additional element to the printed message; helping to ensure your messages is not only seen, but also responded to by the recipient.

Print is more likely to be seen and retained by your target audience. Multiple studies have shown that direct mail has an 80 percent read rate — compared to email’s 20-30 percent read rate.  So, while digital can be instant, it’s not always the most efficient — if no one reads your message, it won’t matter how inexpensive or easy it was to send.  Printed messages are more easily remembered and retained than messages that are read on a screen.  According to Scientific American:

“…Evidence from laboratory experiments, polls and consumer reports indicates that modern screens and e-readers fail to adequately recreate certain tactile experiences of reading on paper that many people miss and, more importantly, prevent people from navigating long texts in an intuitive and satisfying way.”

Finally, Print is Preferred. Multiple studies have shown that over 60 percent of consumers reported that they prefer to receive printed messages regarding deals and products over email and digital messages.

Print is powerful, efficient and useful and while digital media has it’s advantages, print media still has distinct influence on consumer behavior.

Timothy Freeman
President
Print & Graphic Communications Association