Why Print Matters More Than Ever in a Post-Pandemic World

From personalization to programmatic

Consumer behavior has markedly changed over the past 12 months. The people you are trying to reach today have different wants, needs and preferences than they did just a year ago. But what they’re really craving is connection, and, as a brand marketer, you’re in a unique position to deliver that.

So let’s be clear: Connection isn’t going to come from just another email campaign. Cut off from extended family and friends and stuck behind the screen for too much of their days, consumers want something tangible they can touch, read and interact with in real-time.

Print executions are the natural answer to meeting this need. Properly executed and synced with digital executions, print campaigns can help you create that deeper engagement with the consumer and stand out from the mob of brands advertising online.

In fact, the response rate for direct mail campaigns is nine times higher than email according to the Data and Marketing Association. And 41% of Americans look forward to checking their mail every day, according to Gallup.

So, before you craft yet another email subject line, let’s examine four key trends that demonstrate the impact print can have on your customer relationships:

1. The omni consumer  

Consumer attention is more fragmented than ever across devices, platforms and channels. The pandemic only exacerbated this fragmentation as consumers spent more time on more screens across more platforms.

For your message to break through, you need to leverage every channel available to you—including print. A true omnichannel strategy guides the consumer journey with an experience that is cohesive. Basically, no campaign is truly omnichannel unless it leverages all types of physical print—from high-quality catalogs to engaging collateral to direct mail and the like.

But print today doesn’t stand separate from your digital strategy. Interestingly, the pandemic accelerated adoption of QR code technology—a boon for any print execution. Why? Smartphone cameras can easily read QR codes and they are the most seamless way to link print marketing to your web page or other digital execution. The consumer gets to interact physically with your print piece, with the QR code moving them a step closer to conversion.

2. Personalization beyond the screen

Consumers’ obsession with personalization is well-documented, but the surprise and delight it provides isn’t limited to digital engagement.

Personalized print executions are easier to execute than ever thanks to advancements in data applications and printing tech. To figure out where and how you want to personalize, leverage your CRM data just like you would for a digital campaign.

Where in the journey is your target audience? Can you use location data as part of the execution? What kinds of messaging have they responded well to in the past? Asking and answering questions like these will allow you to come up with an execution that feeds directly into what the consumer is looking for.

3. Break through the noise

The average person is exposed to more than 5,000 ad and brand messages each day, according to Media Dynamics. You can imagine why they tune out so many digital campaigns.  Using print allows you to take your brand (if even just briefly) out of the digital scrum.

Consumers are naturally craving some excitement during their days as they continue to work and live at home. Take advantage of this mentality and leverage color and touch to elicit a response and create a memory. We don’t mean packing envelopes full of confetti, but investing in high-quality design and materials can convey quality and help make an impact in the consumer’s mind.

Stand out even more by adding digital features like augmented reality. AR features are much less complex than they seem and can engage the consumer in a whole new way to make the print execution and your brand that much more memorable. It will also help you identify your most engaged customers, as those who take the time to explore the experience are often more interested in your brand.

4. The total brand experience

Creating and communicating your brand’s values, tone and aesthetic online can be hard. There is only so much that can be said and received through a screen. This is truer than ever as most brands, cut off from physical touchpoints, have pivoted to virtual everything.

However, digital experiences alone can’t make up for the physical touchpoints that were lost, making print a crucial element of creating a rich, cohesive brand experience. Giving them something they can touch and hold is your key to this sticky brand experience. In fact, advertising mail is kept in a household for 17 days on average. Think about that—emails are tossed out within seconds, but a print execution could make an impact on a prospect or customer day after day. By leveraging print, you can communicate your brand’s values and aesthetic in a way that’s totally different from the rest of the pack and make sure you stay top of mind.

Tonya Powers is the director of marketing at Canon Solutions America with a focus on all outbound marketing initiatives and the customer experience for the production print solutions business. She brings a wealth of knowledge on building strategies for b-to-b marketing, with a keen focus on the graphic arts industry.