print renaissance

7/27/2019 Print Renaissance

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Print Renaissance Louella Fernandes, Associate Director,

Print Services and Solutions

Quocirca Comment

Prin t Renaissance http: //www.quocirca.com © 2013 Quocir ca L td

Print is not dead, rather it is being re-

discovered as a way to disconnect from the

noisy online world and find comfort in the

traditional enduring value of the printed

page.

Since the invention of the Gutenberg printing

press in 1440, the printed word has stood the

test of time, enduring as a communications

medium through the evolution of newspapers,

radio, TV, mobile, the web and social media. Of

course, today we are more accustomed toreading from screens rather than paper – be it

tablets or smartphones – but our affinity for

paper is unlikely to ever completely diminish.

The prevalence of digital communications does

not mean that printed communications will cease

to be important. As with any new form of

communication, the new does not necessarily

replace the old. Radio did not destroy the

newspaper; television did not kill radio and the

internet did not eradicate television.

A few years ago, the eBook was expected to

spell the demise for the printed book. Yet after a

period of explosive growth, indications for 2013

suggest that eBook sales growth has eased with

sales up by just 5% in first six months of 2013.

According to the Association of American

Publishers and Nielsen, with an 86% share of

sales in the UK, print still accounts for the lion’s

share of book sales. Print and digital therefore

co-exist in the publishing industry, with both

serving different customer needs. Similar trends

are being seen in the print industry, which is

challenged with staying relevant in an age of

“online distraction”.

Today, print is often not invited to the party,

typically forgotten in the rush to reach

consumers through online and social media

channels. Many marketing departments mayhave completely migrated their advertising and

marketing efforts to the web because of its cost

effectiveness, exposure potential and

convenience. But it is a mistake to overlook the

traditional methods such as print in the

marketing mix. Now is the time to differentiate

with print and break through the online and

email clutter. Whilst our email inboxes full to

overflowing, our letterboxes are relatively

empty.

The consequence is that in this noisy online

world, we are more likely to open a piece of

targeted and relevant direct mail. The Direct

Marketing Association (DMA) estimate that

response rates for direct mail are 3.4%

compared to 0.12% for email. Meanwhile, the

DMA “From Letterbox to InBox 2013” research




study revealed that 56% found printed

marketing to be the most trustworthy of media

channels. Whilst online communications can offer

immediacy, speed and efficiency, direct mail can

have the edge when it is optimised with

personalisation, particularly when integrated with

digital channels.

Businesses should therefore consider a

multichannel approach that combines the best of

both worlds – print and digital. By leveraging the

power and effectiveness of print, businesses can

create engaging, relevant, targeted and

response driven campaigns. Let’s consider some

reasons why print still matters:

Tangibility. The tangibility of a printed

page engages more senses than an

online advertisement or email and carries

a sense of prestige with qualities that

can’ t be replicated on screen. Paper has a

sense of permanence, until we decide to

throw it away, whilst whereas emails can

be deleted with a click and online

advertising easily blocked.

Trust: Readers often trust the printed

page and a high quality piece of targeted

and relevant print can have authority and

convey importance. Print is less intrusive

than online media and is often perceived

as more credible.

Retention. We are more engaged when

reading printed material – it demands the

full attention of the reader, avoiding the

distractions from the “always-on” digital

world. Studies have shown that we

absorb and remember more informationwhen reading from paper than from a

screen, and we often tend to skim read

information on screen.

Digital integration. Personalisation can

bridge the gap between print and the

online world. For instance augmented

reality or placing PURLS (personal URLs)

or QR codes, can enable a call to action,

directing a consumer to a website or

special landing page. This also allows a

business to track the effectiveness of

direct marketing campaigns.

So how can businesses integrate their print and

digital marketing efforts? Many are adopting a

cross-media strategy that brings together print,

email, web pages and mobile marketing. This

means customising every document, web page,

email or mobile message combined with

integrated reporting to track results and return

on investment.

One approach is to look to external print service

providers, to help bridge the gap. Many are

venturing into the world of cross-media,

leveraging their digital print capabilities and

exploiting the use of digital printing, variable

data printing (VDP) and customer

communications management (CCM) to deliver

customised communications across multiple

channels. Regardless of the channel, the ability

to deliver relevant messages relies on the quality

of customer data. So, ultimately, for

organisations to truly reap the benefits of cross-

media marketing, data quality is absolutely

critical.

Print is not dead – it is not even close to

extinction. Although our interaction with print




may be falling amidst an abundance of digital

mediums, if targeted and relevant and integrated

as an on-ramp to online channels, print remains

an effective revenue-generating tool. In this age

of distraction, print now has the opportunity to

truly enjoy a creative renaissance.




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