Importance of Print Media in Today’s Age

“Print is no longer relevant in the digital age”, they said. Well, there’s absolutely no truth in that statement. In today’s competitive era, the need of the hour is to break the communication barrier between you and your prospects. While there are several ways to achieve that, it’s quite possible that your target market has become saturated with never-ending online advertisements and email marketing efforts.

Despite embracing ‘digital’ as a powerful medium, there is an increasing need for physically-printed, tactile materials that offer prospects a brand engagement and experience that cannot be replicated online.

Thus, if you are currently obsessing over digital technology, it’s time to rethink your strategy as print media is more alive than ever and will never die.

In India especially, print media has always performed well. There are two main reasons for it – the supremacy of the written word and getting the newspaper right at our doorstep.

Why Include Print Media in your Marketing Mix in 2019?

As per a recent report, it is expected that print media Ad growth will accelerate and achieve a growth of 6.2% in 2019 contrary to 5.6% in 2018.

India is one of the primary markets in the world where print still continues to be dominant and is growing in all aspects – circulation, readership and geography. Political campaigning because of elections and government spending is the other two reasons why print media ad revenue will increase in 2019.

If you are aiming at creating a lasting impact on your target market, here are five reasons that will clearly explain why print media should be an integral part of your 2019 marketing mix:

1. The print is exciting: Have you ever counted the number of ‘spam’ emails you would have received in a day? Plenty, we suppose? Owing to the open nature of the internet, sporadic and constant marketing is on the rise. However, if your marketing strategy heavily relies on the internet, chances are that you end up getting lost in the digital noise.

Instead of getting lost, how about resorting to new and uncommon advertising mediums and traditional means of communication? A study reveals that consumers today make their purchase decisions after coming across direct mail, circulars, paper cup ads and in-store flyers. The physicality of print media makes it more exciting than digital equivalents such as emails, apps and social media. When your target group gets something on paper, the touch and weight of it result in better brand engagement. Whether it’s Volkswagen’s ‘talking newspaper’ campaign or Godrej Aer’s ‘fragrance newspaper’, print media has always been able to grab the reader’s eyeballs.

2. Print incorporates technology: Today, an effective marketing strategy is that which integrates itself with other digital solutions. Creating a great library of printed materials does not mean you abandon your online marketing efforts. When both work together your marketing campaigns become stronger. With QR codes, LCD, chips, audio notes, infographics and augmented reality (AR), you can quickly transport a reader from physical to digital in seconds. By doing this, you are satisfying an audience that prefers print media but still craves digital experiences. Paper cup branding is a perfect example of bringing the two together. You can draw your target market to a webpage to learn more about your product and create an Omni-channel brand experience at the same time.
   
3. Longer exposure time: Owing to the fast-paced nature of the internet, consumers are constantly bombarded with advertising messages and calls to action. This makes them desensitised to such messages as they begin to block out any ad that screams attention. This is not the case with print media. The long exposure time of printed materials helps in maintaining the exposure of the users. When reading print, the distractions (banner ads and pop-ups) are lesser too and consumers are able to fully devote their attention to the message.
4. Adding print increases ROI: Research proves that when printed materials are integrated with other digital solutions, the former’s ability to increase ROI is as much as 240%. This is a win-win for brands that are tired of relying on online ads and are looking to capitalise on alive, kicking and visually-stunning print ads.   
   
5. Print creates better engagement: Though email and social media have taken over major parts of our lives, it doesn’t always “engage”. People reading content on the internet often tend to skin through stuff and move on to the next. This is not the case with glossy magazines and visually-stunning print materials. The beauty of the way content is presented entices them to read more rather than simply shutting it out.

If you still haven’t incorporated print media into your marketing mix, now is a great time to start. It’s a great way to create brand engagement and give your target group the chance to hold, touch and feel your brand.

If this blog compels you to leverage on the power of print for your brand, call us at +91-990 247 8800/47 or drop an email to contact@www.gingercup.com.