The Enduring Value of Print in a Digital Landscape

There’s no denying that digital distribution has greatly expanded marketing’s reach. However, despite this success, print marketing has continued to grow and thrive right alongside it. Why? 

The truth is, print marketing continues to be the superior choice in many marketing scenarios. It lasts longer, makes information easier to remember, and builds trust better than its digital counterpart. To illustrate our point, we’ll break down three of print’s most enduring selling points for marketers below. We’ll also discuss some of the important steps required to ensure you get the most out of all your print endeavors.

Print Boosts Emotional Impact

Most humans have an innate instinct to handle objects and, through that handling, impressions are made. For example, touch can make a person feel a stronger sense of ownership towards the object (or representation of an object) that they’re handling. Print materials also benefit from enhanced focus; they can’t be swiped or scrolled past, and there’s no flashing content in the periphery to draw attention away. By fostering a prolonged, singular focus, audiences are able to build stronger connections with the content.

Print Builds Credibility and Trust

Studies have shown that print ads rank as the most trustworthy form of advertising among consumers. In other words, print marketing can help companies and products feel more credible than digital-only advertising. And in a marketing landscape rife with scams, subpar knock-offs, and wary viewers, showing up in the most trusted format can go a long way towards winning hearts and minds.

Print Improves Long-term Brand Recall

Researchers have found that, on a neurological level, we react differently to print vs. digital content. Eyetracking and biometrics monitoring has shown greater physiological engagement with print, while MRI studies have shown print ads lead to greater activation of the hippocampus and parahippocampus. This indicates we’re more likely to remember the information seen in print ads vs. digital ones. 

What’s more, print is something easily held on to, while digital advertising isn’t. Brochures, fliers, catalogs, and the like frequently remain in a consumer’s possession for weeks or more, resting on a desk or pinned to a fridge. That extended, unobtrusive presence in the spaces where your target audience lives and works is invaluable for increasing your brand visibility and reputation.

Getting the Most out of Print Marketing Materials

As valuable as print marketing is, it still requires thoughtfulness and finesse to get the best results. So, here are a few tips for how to make the most of your print endeavors.

Enhance Engagement with Multichannel Strategies

There’s no denying that digital channels also have benefits. They can reach farther, faster, showing up instantaneously right in the palm of a consumer’s hand. That’s why the most effective marketers typically embrace a multichannel breadth-and-depth approach. Leverage digital for wider reach, while simultaneously targeting your key demographics with high-value, high-impact print materials. 

Leverage Offset Printing and Premium Materials

Quality is key to getting the biggest impact from print. That usually means offset printing is your best choice. This process offers unparalleled brand/campaign color consistency and print fidelity. It also offers the widest selection of materials and finishes, facilitating more eye-catching and one-of-a-kind designs.

Work with Top-of-the-Line Print Professionals

And now, our number one tip for getting the best possible print results: work with the best, most experienced print professionals you can find. At Wallace Carlson, we’re nearing a century spent in the commercial print business, and over those years, we’ve built an unassailable reputation for quality and service. Our team will work with you to elevate your ideas and provide innovative, beautiful, highly effective print solutions. To get started, simply get in touch with our team today.