There is often debate about whether you should put your efforts in marketing toward print or digital. There are pros and cons to each, but we think it takes both to be successful. We can’t imagine a company that doesn’t print business cards or brochures will be successful, as well as vice versa, a company that doesn’t have a website to be successful.
- Consumers who receive a direct mail piece directing them to an online site spend an average 13% MORE than those who do not receive a printed piece.a
- Websites supported by catalogs yield 163% more revenue than those not supported by cataloges.b
- 60% of merchants surveyed said that catalogs are their primary sales channel; websites came in second at 20%.c
- 30% more dollars are spent by multimedia shoppers than single-medium shoppers.d
- People read word-for-word when reading print, but only scan online text. The online environment deters viewers from focusing because of its multiple distractions.
- Magazine print ads are more effective than online banner, yet advertising online is cheaper than print advertising.
- The web is flexible, accessible, and measurable (tracking your marketing efforts).
- The web is meant for sharing, which is the number one most effective form of marketing–word of mouth.
- Print media can target a select audience, has a longer shelf life and 70% people prefer to read print and paper communications over reading from a screen.e
Marketers can use print to support digital or use digital to support print. For instance, consumers can receive print collateral directing them to an online source that provides them with more information about the offering. Online consumers can request a print brochure to be sent to them if they want more details. Online advertising can be the lead generator but print is the persuasive factor.
Working together
As mentioned in last week’s blog, marketers have been using Quick Response (QR) codes (a barcode that can be scanned by a mobile phone to receive additional information) in their marketing of print materials. This combines the best of print, mobile, and web platforms. A marketer benefits from the shelf life and reach of a print ad, the portability of a mobile phone, and the flexibility and active engagement of the Web.
a U.S. Postal Service FY07 Catalog Whitepaper/Choose Print
b USPS Deliver magazine, Volume 5, Issue 5, 10/09
c 2008 DMA Study, State of the Catalog Industry/Choose Print
d USPS Mail and the Internet White Paper
e State of the Media Democracy, Deloitte Research March 2011
Hunter-McMain 