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Print is Making Itself Heard, Again
April, 2012 | by Rick Tracy, Creative Director, CDG
Okay, let's get this out on the table right away. Print is not dead! Experts in social networking and other forms of Internet marketing would tell you otherwise. Even in the age of the Internet the appeal of print is growing. During the 12 year life span of Google, magazine readership actually increased 11%. Direct mail spending is expected to increase 6% to $47 billion in 2011. The number of print projects for designers have increased over the last year with 71% of their time spent designing print collateral.
So in reality, Print is actually being reborn in an age where a younger, more aggressive sibling has dominated the world of communications in recent years. The thunderous din from this Internet sibling has prevented the older one from being heard at the cross-media family gathering. The family just can't help themselves and are in awe of this younger, more exciting child with all her mysterious, flashy new skills.
How will the older Print media compete with this young Web upstart? It's not as cool and doesn't provide instant gratification like the Web, but Print's place in the communications world is changing. To make things even more interesting, a long lost relative recently arrived at the family gathering. This relative is Print's younger brother, Print 2.0. Will this different version of Print also compete for attention with the Web or are they actually on the same team and we just don't understand this complicated relationship yet?
What is Print 2.0?
I will admit upfront that as a designer I'm from the print media generation, but I'm embracing Print 2.0 with all its benefits. It is a relatively new concept that takes advantage of the digital world we now live in and includes much more than just traditional print. Print 2.0 is an ever-expanding group of tools that help companies achieve their communication goals. It includes print, digital print, variable data printing, mailing and fulfillment, QR codes*, data handling and analysis, integration with e-mail, PURLs**, landing pages, social media, strategic planning and much more.
That's certainly a mouthful and all these tools are not appropriate for every company, but the right combination of them could help you reach your customers more efficiently than ever before. In simpler terms, Print 2.0 blends the values of traditional print with the efficiency of digital technology to create a smarter Print. Let's review several factors that will lead to a successful media campaign.
Know Your Customer
It all begins with a thorough understanding of the potential customers you are trying to engage. You must know how they behave, know them inside and out. We are so inundated with information and everyone is trying to be heard. In order for print promotion to succeed, you need to know your target audiences' values, attitudes and interests. Even with all this new technology where a campaign may combine print ads or direct mail with high-tech QR codes, knowledge of your customers' make up is more important than ever because now we have the technology to target very specific clients.
QR Code (Quick Response Code)
This Direct Mail Postcard has a QR Code in the lower left hand corner. Your customer scans the code with a Smart Phone to see your offer or any message you want them to see immediately.
Make Your Message Relevant
The days of carpet-bombing marketing are numbered, according to Print Council Executive Director Ben Cooper. "Randomness has been replaced by relevance; volume has been replaced by very specific target marketing. A direct mail postcard with a QR code or PURL printed on it has proven to be an effective vehicle for a relevant message."
Internet ads strive to be relevant, but they are frequently perceived as intrusive and many Web users tend to ignore them. Unsolicited e-mails are sent straight to the spam folder. But if you receive a well designed postcard or package in your mailbox from a company that provides an offer that is specific to your needs, you are more receptive and inclined to take action. Not only is this message relevant, but it arrives in a familiar, attractive format that you can hold in your hand, respond to the Web offer immediately or read at your convenience.
There is a proven correlation between the relevance of the message and the response rate. More and more direct mail pieces are utilizing Variable Data Printing (VDP) technology for personalization, versioning and customization. "The cost per piece is higher,"notes Cooper. "But each piece can be significantly more relevant, translating to a better response rate and ultimately lead to a higher return on investment."
Use Print with other Marketing Channels
Many marketing experts, say that seven is the magic number of times you should reach out to prospective customers. It takes seven times for a person to see your company name and or logo, before they remember it. Dr. John Leininger, professor of Graphic Communications at Clemson University, says that company should reach out to their clients in a variety of ways utilizing print as an integral element of a multi-channel campaign along with PURLs, QR Codes and e-mail. "By sending the message through different media you increase the the likelihood that the recipient will see your message. Many studies have shown that direct mail combined with cross-media in a multi-channel campaign produces higher response rates."
Use Digital Tracking to Optimize Content
Multi-touch campaigns are more effective and they have the potential to significantly reduce marketing spending by tracking responses and refining databases. PURLS and QR Codes help segment prospects so that marketing strategy can be further personalized. “And it can all be automated,” Leininger says. Unlike mass mailings and generic blasts, automation programs offer tailored efficiency. Postcards and e-mails can be personalized and sent at designated time intervals based on predetermined parameters.
“Printers are more attuned than ever before to the needs and goals of their customers, and they are equipping themselves to meet those needs by becoming marketing service providers, experts in multichannel marketing and database management with print in the mix,” affirms Cooper. The evolution of printers has led to the evolution of print and emergence of Print 2.0.
*A Quick Response (QR) Code is a two dimensional code that can be scanned and read by smartphone cameras to transfer information. The information can then be encoded to text, add a vCard contact, open a URL or much more. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background.
**PURLs or Personal URLs are unique website addresses on each mail piece that recipients can access to get free information, offers, registrations or surveys. When the recipient goes to the PURL, their name and information is immediately populated. They can simply click a button to get the additional offer or information. That information is then forwarded to you as a lead.
