This guest blog was submitted by Kurt Konow, Production Print Marketing Strategist, Ricoh Americas Corporation, sponsor of the 2012 Integrated Print Forum, October 29-30, 2012.
The world of communicating has changed dramatically. It was less than a decade ago that the primary distribution channel for communications was traditional print. Whether you were in the business of preparing and distributing mission-critical bills and statements, or the more creative world of designing and delivering direct mail, flyers, and brochures, print was king. But then something happened. Tradition was socked with a one-two punch—the E-World—and the methods of communicating changed forever.
Consumers have more communication choices than ever before, including email, SMS text messaging, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and traditional print. Depending on the content of the communication, one channel might be just perfect and another channel not even a consideration. Sitting at your kid’s soccer game or commuting on a train might be perfect situations to text or tweet a message, but not very practical or timely to create and print a message. Clearly, we live in a world that communicates, and the E-World has simplified and enhanced our ability to interface with others instantaneously. However, what still remains at the center of the communication channel choice is preference and practicality. Not everyone can—or wants to—communicate via Facebook messaging. Not every mail piece, brochure, or poster is intelligently transferable through mobile marketing mechanisms. What are we saying? Print is still valued, still considered, still preferred by many, and still necessary.
While print is not dead, it does require a more strategic approach to ensure it is carefully scheduled within an overall, integrated communication plan. In some circumstances print may still be able to stand on its own merit, but in other instances it will need to be a component in a broader communication strategy. Either way, it is incumbent on the communication owner to maximize the return on investment of print by ensuring maximum effectiveness. However, this lofty mandate can be daunting, unless you embrace a “best-practice” approach to ensuring print is a viable and effective component of an overall communication strategy.
Ricoh’s 5 “Best-Practices” to Ensure Print Success
Print Is Personal
Never has the opportunity to effectively engage a prospect, or existing customer, been more possible than right now. As you are reading this article, your email inbox most likely has received one or more marketing messages. Did they go directly to spam or did they get clogged up amongst your other daily emails that you have to filter through? Either way, the “personalized” effect of your marketing email messages will most likely go unnoticed—if noticed at all. On the other hand, a printed piece with personalized messaging and imagery stares you right in the face and lets you know that your message was targeted and designed just for you. Specific color choices are but one example of how personalization can be infused into a printed piece. On average, response rates are five- to six-percent higher when personalized color is an element of printed communications.
Print Drives ROI
Consumers gravitate to print. According to a recent study conducted by the United States Postal Service (USPS), 38% of households surveyed found direct mail pieces “interesting.” Making a buying decision originates with consumer interest—whether the interest is self-induced or company-prompted, the consumer must be interested in the product, service, or offer before they buy. Additionally, the CMO council indicates that 67% of respondents to a direct mail survey stated that they like getting mail from their existing providers about new product offerings. Plus, 41% of loyalty program members ordered products or services through their vendor’s catalogs or through the mail. Based solely on these few facts, print is driving a high ROI in many companies.
Print Is Engaging
Print is the only communication channel that can potentially engage all five human senses. Yes—all five! Sure, sight and touch are simple with print, but with a well thought-out print program you can integrate a sound chip, a sniff scratch, and—with just a bit more ingenuity—taste as well. With the proper use of paper, ink, and finishing techniques, print has the ability to affect the senses un-matched by the e-channel. Bottom line, human beings are sensory, and print can engage all five of them. Yes—all five!
Print Is Sustainable
We are a “Green” nation—and understandably so. It is imperative that we take care of the planet for our upcoming lineage, rather than let them lie in wastelands filled with our disrespect. However, the good news is that print is sustainable and green. According to the USDA Forest Service, there are four million trees planted daily in the U.S., and of that, 1.7 million per day are planted by the wood and paper industries—which equate to about 620 million trees per year. Additionally, the chemical process used to produce digital print has dramatically improved with regard to green benchmarks and guidelines. Therefore, print is now a very sustainable part of the communication industry and can be leveraged in good conscience.
Print Is Proven
iPad, iPhone, Facebook, Twitter, SMS—these are but a few of the technologies that have changed our communication methods forever. Instantaneous communication, split-second response, and immediate satisfaction are characteristics of this new E-Centric World. However, print is proven. Proven that the results you’re looking for are achievable with print. According to The Print Council, direct mail has directly influenced more consumers to buy than any other channel or communication. In fact, in many circumstances it may be the only channel you can accurately rely on. So, while planning your communication strategy, remember print—it will be “print” that puts the exclamation point on your strategy!
Never has there been more pressure on making the right communication decisions in order to effectively reach the right audience at the right time with the right message. Now that consumers have so many more communication channels to select from, it’s up to you to decide which channel is most effective for each message. So go ahead, exploit the E-Messaging world. But also remember to think strategically, and when you do, contemplate this: “Print is still valued, still considered, still preferred by many, and still necessary.”