Madonna said it best: “We all live in a material world.” Despite an ever growing popularity and demand for our beloved digital devices, print marketing is here to stay. Just because something is old, does not mean it is outdated. The first American print ad appeared in a newspaper in 1704 and has continued to prove its worth as a foundational form of advertising.

The introduction of broadcast and digital marketing, no doubt, impacted print marketing but it has not taken its place. At Harmonic Media, we place a high amount of value on collaboration and have found that print and digital marketing complement one another beautifully when brands use them in tandem.

Oftentimes, the most effective omni-channel marketing campaigns are a brilliant combination of traditional and online advertising. This form of marketing is embraced by many businesses (big and small) as it promotes products and services across all channels, devices, and platforms utilizing messaging and visuals that are unified, cohesive and consistent with the overall brand.

Keeping all of this in mind, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty of why print marketing has a purpose for brand’s looking to stand out in today’s digital age. The following benefits will have you thinking of ways to implement what has been improperly deemed “old school” marketing into your new, robust marketing strategies. Statistic time: According to Top Media Advertising, marketing campaigns that combine print and digital ads are 400% more effective!

1. Be Memorable

In a society that is obsessed with multi-tasking and lengthy to-do lists, our attention spans and memory skills are not the best. With constant distractions, wandering eyes and minds, it is important to create marketing that will be remembered. And it just so happens to be that print advertising results in higher levels of brand recall than digital advertising — 77% versus 46% to be exact. (Source: Newsworks).

This may have something to do with the fact that according to R.C. Brayshaw, print ads require 21% less cognitive effort to process compared to digital ads. If you ask the Harmonic team, easy and effective gets two thumbs up in our book. Along with having a lot of fun (and coffee) while at work, our culture embraces the idea of doing work that is smart and simple.

2. Be Trustworthy

In the same way people seek advice from people they trust, they do business with brands they trust. When compared with the fake ads and scams that reside online, print marketing gains some major brownie points among consumers. Studies have shown 82% of people trust print ads the most when making a purchasing decision. (Source: Marketing Sherpa). Additionally, 30% of consumers who notice a print ad eventually visit the website of that business (Source: socalnewsgroup.com). There’s something more authentic and real about print that simply can’t be recreated in digital marketing.

3. Be Strategic

Every brand puts a lot of time, thought and money into defining their target demographic. So it makes sense that where and how a business markets themselves should reach those who they have identified as potential customers. From billboards to wall graphics to direct mail, print ads can be focused on a specific age group, location, and many other relevant variables.

And thanks to things like QR codes (a great example of digital and traditional marketing working together) it’s easier than ever to track the engagement and effectiveness of a print ad. Speaking of getting people to take action, did you know that print ads generate a 20% higher motivation response than digital ads? (R.C. Brayshaw).

4. Be Seen

How many times have you deleted an email without opening it? Swiped away a questionable text message? Stayed far away from a pop up ad with big letters saying CLICK HERE! Consumers don’t have the ability to put a billboard or vehicle wrap into their trash folder, which increases the odds of them noticing the ad and, even better, taking action.

In addition to being seen, print marketing gives brands the opportunity to incorporate other senses such as smell, touch and sound. The more elements you are able to strategically integrate, the better your chances are of catching — and keeping — the attention of the consumer.

5. Be Cost Effective

As a business owner, putting your money to good use is a must. Everyone loves getting more bang for their buck, which is something print marketing (when properly executed) has a reputation of accomplishing. In terms of response rates, print advertising offers a 112% return on investment according to an article on marketingcharts.com. This percentage is higher than SMS, email, social media, paid search, and digital display ads.

Let’s not forget about the possibility of getting multiple views and viewers with the same print ad. Viewers will pick up on and even get irritated when receiving the same online ads multiple times. However, passersby and drivers simply accept window decals, murals, and billboards as a part of their environment, rather than a disruption. Now that’s some attractive ROI potential right there.

Want to discuss the many ways we can fit into your marketing approach? Feel free to give us a shout!