Ikea book book ad raises a serious point about the power of print

An advert for the Ikea catalogue, initially launched in Singapore, has a little dig at our world of touchscreen mobiles and tablets. In so doing, it makes us sit up and think about how we take printed media for granted, and more importantly understand where it fits in the consumer buying cycle.

Demand for printed communications remains strong
Multimedia campaigns are often seen as ones that embrace email, web, SMS and social; however, they often ignore the role that printed communication plays in customer engagement. The tactile nature of a piece of print, its longevity and versatility is often not appreciated by digital natives.

A number of years ago, many people were predicting the demise of print; with all consumers wanting communication online and via mobile. However, many years on, we continue to see a strong demand for printed marketing communication.

Print is an essential element in the marketing media mix
Apart from Ikea, we are seeing brands such as Next voting for a truly integrated approach that includes significant print-based communication within their marketing planning. They realise that hard-nosed numbers count, and that more targeted and relevant communication is often best delivered in a printed format.

It’s not only about results, but also emotion. In a world of mass communication there is often a belief that a printed piece of communication has involved care and effort, as opposed to the pressing of a button. It is not about cost, but all about return on investment and engagement.

Another example of where we are seeing print stand tall is the financial services sector. Online delivery is not replacing print, but instead supplementing it.

Investors may appreciate regular updates in an electronic format, but for the bigger, more substantial communication (eg annual statements) they prefer something tangible that they can review and physically file. The emotional security of a piece of print, with the “I want it in black and white” effect is as strong, if not stronger, than ever.

So long live the Ikea book book, but more importantly long live the thought process and creative genius that created this advert.

By Fraser Church, Head of Marketing at DST, suppliers of print and mailing solutions, and sponsor of the Financial Services category at the DMA Awards.