Tales of Its Imminent Demise Are Exaggerated
In 1897 a journalist reported the demise of that great man of American letters, Mark Twain. The bemused Twain, still very much alive and kicking, responded with a letter to the paper reading: “The report of my death is an exaggeration.”
In a similar way, many “experts” have been loudly trumpeting the imminent downfall of print media as a significant means of communicating with customers. Surely, with the meteoric rise of the Internet, Web marketing is swiftly rendering obsolete all print media.
We have been told time and again that printed brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, annual reports, fliers and other tangible marketing items (even greeting cards and business letters) are destined for the dustbin of history.
But is this really so? Not by a long shot.
Advantages of Web vs. Print
True, print media has taken a hit in recent years as marketers were quick to realize the efficiencies of Web marketing. This fact, combined with an increase in environmental awareness (deforestation and global warming) and a desire be good corporate citizens, has prompted many businesses to cut back on print media and shift much of their marketing efforts toward electronic platforms.
The biggest appeal, at least initially, is cost. An e-newsletter, for example, is cheaper than a print one. The same goes for annual reports, brochures and direct mail. Why mail an expensive print ad or letter to someone’s home when you can hit an email inbox for a lot less?
No wonder there was so much hype for Web marketing and a general decline in respect for traditional print marketing.
People Like Print
Yet one important fact was overlooked in the race to replace print: Web marketing may be cheaper, but it’s not necessarily better. In some cases, it may not be nearly as effective as a well-conceived print piece.
One essential premise remains true: people like print. They like the touch, texture and even smell of print. They also like the portability of printed materials. Unlike a desktop computer, you can take printed materials with you and read them (bathroom anyone?) where you please. Furthermore printed materials can be more easily displayed and shared at meetings, conventions and tradeshows, keeping your brand in the forefront.
And, though you might be able to slip your Web marketing piece past a customer’s spam filter, you still have to face a delete button that is used mercilessly to eliminate anything that is not catchy enough. A print piece, on the other hand, by its tactile nature is more likely to be looked at, saved or filed away for future reference.
Print’s Longer Shelf Life
Let me offer an example: One nonprofit client I know mails quarterly, printed newsletters to its donors with an enclosed envelope for gifts. It is not uncommon for this charity to receive donations a year or two or even more after the newsletter was issued. That means it’s been sitting on someone’s coffee table or desk until they were ready to take action. An email newsletter simply won’t enjoy as long a shelf life.
Printed material offers your clients and customers a literal “high touch” experience that cannot be satisfied by Web marketing alone. Remember a few years ago when e-cards were all the rage? They were quick, easy and creative. Then people began to realize that e-cards carried far less emotional content and impact than a traditional printed card that they opened and held in their hands. There was something personal and powerful about the fact that people actually took the time to pick out a card (at a bricks and mortar location!), inscribe it in their own hand, lick a stamp and then post it. In the Internet age this process might seem quaint, but it works and that’s what matters.
Balance Your Customer Communications
In summary, the main point is not to put all your eggs in the Web marketing basket. Is it a powerful marketing tool? You bet it is. But Web marketing is still just one piece of the pie when it comes to communicating with your customers. Instead of emphasizing only one type of marketing (no matter how cost efficient) make sure all your messaging campaigns are balanced and fully integrated and that may very well mean including print in the mix.
Print dead? Even Mark Twain would have a chuckle at that idea.
written by Scott Wigton