Print Marketing and Millennials

PRINT MARKETING IS HERE TO STAY

"82% of Millennials said they would engage with retail print literature." Quad Graphics Study.

The digital revolution has profoundly changed the way we do business. Marketing budgets are now pumped into digital ecosystems, which has to lead to a decline in print marketing. However, print marketing hasn’t gone away - we still receive a fair amount of print media in the post, and newspapers are managing to survive. And the fact that print hasn’t been killed off means it still has value still gets results and represents a lucrative opportunity for marketers.

Millennials and Print Marketing

There have been concerns that the Millennial market has become so digitally conditioned that it doesn’t respond to or value print anymore. This, however, is fast becoming a myth. Yes it’s true Millennials are the most digitally connected demographic, but research shows they’re actually rather fond of print marketing.

According to a Quad/Graphics study, Millennials respond to direct mail more than email, with 82% saying they would engage with retail print literature. It appears that the tactile nature of print has a more stimulating effect. This is supported by a scientific study from Millward Brown which used fMRI scanning techniques to measure brain activity against exposure to print and digital marketing material. They came to a very interesting conclusion:

‘The “real” experience that the physical media provides means it’s better at becoming part of memory. It generates more emotion, which should help to develop more positive brand associations. The real experience is also internalized, which means the materials have a more personal effect, and therefore should aid motivation.’

If that’s anything to go by, then print marketing isn’t just effective - it’s essential. After all, what brand doesn’t want to be remembered? What brand doesn’t want to be connected to its audience in a meaningful way? And what marketer doesn’t want a more motivated audience?

Cross-media campaigns: connecting traditional and digital

Print media represents a great opportunity because the traditional mail market is no longer saturated, meaning your brand and sales messages are more likely to stand out.

And as we’ve seen, because of its physical nature, it’s more likely to have a meaningful impression on the recipient. However, the benefits of the digital revolution shouldn’t be forgotten. An online presence makes it easier for your audience to connect and engage with your brand. Indeed, a recipient can be directed to a website or social media network at the point of receiving the mail. So clever marketers are developing cross-media strategies that use print media to first grab people’s attention, drive them online and then use digital media’s capability to convert, monitor and gather data.

Conclusion

The recent print revival clearly presents opportunities for the industry, but pulling together cross-media campaigns isn’t a skill that can be acquired overnight. ‘Data management and personalised printing are key,’ says Robin Sumner, Managing Director at Romax, a leading-edge direct marketing specialist. ‘We run direct mail campaigns for our clients that have achieved more than 300% ROI.’ This demonstrates the power of direct mail marketing and its ability to boost overall campaign results. Print media is here to stay and should be in every marketer’s toolbox.

Source: Quad Graphics, In collaboration with the Centre for Experimental Consumer Psychology at Bangor University.

Romax Marketing & Distribution, a Greenwich-London based company, provides a wide range of services in Direct Marketing for B2B and B2C, Direct Mail, Data Management, Printing, Discount Postage and Membership Communication Services and Consultancy. Contact us: hello@romax.co.uk +44 (0) 20 8293 8550