Six reasons print belongs in your marketing mix

September 7th, 2010 | News Next » |

Just because marketers are jumping on the interactive-marketing bandwagon in droves doesn't mean that things on the interactive side are all rosy. Decreasing numbers for print don't necessarily mean a particularly high return on investment (ROI) for all digital initiatives.

Recent research indicates that there is an advantage for marketers who embrace a multichannel approach, rather than putting all their proverbial eggs in one basket. Studies show that nearly 80 percent of consumers use more than one channel when making purchasing decisions, and 25 percent use three or more. Moreover, 78 percent said they use catalogs to browse and discover products.

Here are six of the benefits of such a print approach:

1. It cuts through email clutter by getting into the home to make an emotional connection. When a household receives only a few pieces of mail a day, a well-designed catalog will stand out and have a chance to make its way to other household members. Print is lauded for its ability to make an emotional connection—something that can be at least partially attributed to the fact that you hold and feel it in your hands.
2. It uses content and storytelling to build awareness and purchase intent. Whether you use copy or design for storytelling, you have the ability to weave a narrative so that customers can see themselves in a situation that is either true to life or aspirational. It is much more difficult to accomplish that with an HTML email or a banner ad.
3. It offers customers a chance to browse (vs. searching on a website). A print catalog gives consumers a chance to shop, browse, and make discoveries at their own pace or over multiple viewings. Website searches are not well suited for discovery. A print piece is great for finding things you never knew existed, while on the Web you are generally searching for something you already have in mind.
4. It can be integrated with online tactics: digital editions, mobile apps, social media, and commerce websites. A print catalog or magalog can help drive people to your commerce site or to a digital edition of the catalog; there, you can convert the sale. Also, it can raise awareness and help get people to go to your Facebook page or to follow you on Twitter, or you can alert them to retail deals you're offering on Foursquare.
5. It lets you finely target your list for both acquisition and reactivation of lapsed customers. A powerful use of print is reactivation of a lapsed customer. Zappos has been successful with that approach, re-energizing its relationship with lapsed customers who had been receiving regular emails but hadn't purchased in years. After receiving the Zappos Life magalog, many lapsed customers went to the site and purchased, having their interest reignited after the magalog appeared in their mailbox.
6. It provides tangible, measurable ROI. There are a few techniques for measuring the effectiveness of catalogs and magalogs.

–Marketing Profs