The importance of a print media presence is that it creates engagement and adds credibility.

Having a print media presence can also provide a return on investment by creating a lasting image in a consumer’s mind.

Additionally, print media is portable, and is available at any time, even when there is no service or power. Many consumers prefer printed material like newspapers and magazines to digital versions. It is visible and accessible even though sharing digital media is both faster and easier because there is no need for special keywords or account information to access print media.

Print media presence benefits by its physicality - not only is it long-lasting; it can’t be deleted. It is also seen as being professional, and that professionalism allows for print media to achieve a credibility that is difficult to achieve in digital media. Consumers also have more trust in print media over digital media, as of 2015.

Print media can be informative, as it allows companies that want to push a sale onto potential customers to do so in a variety of printed forms, such as brochures and color sales fliers. Print media also helps a company build its image, because lasting photographs of the product or service the business offers can enhance the consumer’s impression of the product.

I was on the phone this week talking to a customer about different options for a print content strategy. He was interested in the discussion because he felt they needed to do more non-traditional marketing.

Just think about that for a second… print is non-traditional marketing. That’s where we are today. Blogging, social media, web articles… that’s all very traditional. Now, am I saying that brands should be looking at print as an opportunity right now to get and keep attention? Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying - having a print content strategy has come full circle, from norm to niche.

The Newsweek move

I’m sure you heard the news that Newsweek magazine is ceasing publication in the print format. SmartMoney recently made the same declaration.

When I have conversations with marketers and publishers about these kinds of moves, I always hear the notion that “print is dead.” Well, I’m here to tell you that there has never been a bigger opportunity for brands in the printed channel than right now.

While I would not want to be in the broad-based, horizontal print game (ala USA Today), highly niche, highly targeted publications are flourishing as a marketing tool. For example, thinkMoney magazine from TD Ameritrade sees about 90 percent of its customers take direct action on a product it sells through the print magazine. The magazine is a true collision of amazing design and provocative information. It’s the type of content that is anticipated by its trader audience. And better yet, since traders are in front of computers all day long, they look forward to the opportunity to disconnect and discover.

Even our own Chief Content Officer magazine has a clear competitive advantage in the marketplace because it’s in print. At a recent event (not ours), three marketing executives came up to me and told me how much they enjoy the magazine and can’t wait until the next one arrives (they didn’t mention our daily digital content… they just mentioned print).

Print is not declining anymore

Most prognosticators say that by 2020 most printed media will be gone. I think anyone who makes those types of comments doesn’t understand history. Just type into Google “The Death of TV” and you’ll see hundreds of articles predicting the end of television. One could make the argument that right now is the golden age of television, with amazing shows like Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men and Homeland leading the way.

The evolution of the internet doesn’t kill off these channels… it makes us look at them differently because they are used differently by consumers.

We are releasing our third annual content marketing study next week. Among the findings, the usage of EVERY channel is flat or up. After years of seeing the usage of print magazines on the downside, we saw no change year-over-year. Yes, marketers, for the most part, have stopped fleeing from the print channel.

Of course, content marketing strategy comes first, followed by channel strategy. But as a content marketer, it is our responsibility to look at all available channels to tell our stories.

7 reasons to rethink print content strategy

Here are a few reasons why there might be an amazing opportunity in the print channel:

1. It grabs attention: Have you noticed how many fewer magazines and print newsletters you are getting in the mail these days? I don’t know about you, but I definitely pay more attention to my print mail. There’s just less mail, so more attention is paid to each piece. Opportunity? The decisions that magazines like Newsweek are making leave a clear opportunity for content marketers to fill the gap.

2. Its focus on customer retention: Sixty-four percent of B2B marketers create original content for customer retention and loyalty goals Historically, the reason why custom print magazines and newsletters were developed by brands was for customer retention purposes. In a recent CMI webinar, Carlos Hidalgo, CEO of Annuitas Group, stated that one of the biggest problems marketers have with their content is that they forget to nurture customers AFTER the purchase decision was made (we have a winner!).

3. There are no audience development costs: Publishers expend huge amounts of time and money qualifying subscribers to send out their magazines. Many times, publishers need to invest multiple dollars per subscriber per year for auditing purposes (They send direct mail, they call… they call again… so that the magazine can say that their subscribers have requested the magazine. This is true for controlled [free] trade magazines).

So, let’s say, a publisher’s cost-per-subscriber per year is $2 and their distribution is 100,000. That’s $200,000 per year for audience development.

That’s a cost that marketers don’t have to worry about. If marketers want to distribute a magazine to their customers, they just use their customer mailing list. That’s a big advantage.

4. What’s old is new again: Social media, online content and iPad applications are all part of the marketing mix today. Still, what excites marketers and media buyers is what IS NOT being done (can you say non-traditional?). They want to do something different… something new. It’s hard to believe, but the print channel is new again and is seeing a rebirth. Could we possibly be seeing a golden age in print, like we are seeing in television?

5. Customers still need to know what questions to ask: We love the internet because buyers can find answers to almost anything. But where do we go to think about what questions we should be asking? I talked to a publisher recently who said this:

“The web is where we go to get answers but print is where we go to ask questions.”

The print vehicle is still the best medium on the planet for thinking outside the box and asking yourself tough questions based on what you read — it’s lean back versus lean forward. If you want to challenge your customers (like Harvard Business Review does), print is a viable option.

6. Print still excites people: I talked to a journalist recently who said it’s harder and harder to get people to agree to an interview for an online story. But mention that it will be a printed feature and executives rearrange their schedule. The printed word is still perceived as more credible to many people than anything on the web. It goes to the old adage, “If someone invested enough to print and mail it, it must be important.”

We’ve seen this firsthand with CCO magazine. Contributors love being featured on the CMI website, but they crave having their article in the printed magazine. It’s amazing how different the perception is of the print versus online channel when it comes to editorial contribution.

7. Print lets people unplug: More and more, people are actively choosing to unplug, or disconnect themselves from digital media. I’m finding myself turning off my phone and email more to engage with printed material. A year ago I didn’t see this coming. Today, I relish the opportunities when I can’t be reached for comment.

For example, our entire family does “electronics-free Saturday.” This means no computer, no iPhone, no Xbox, no email, no Facebook. We’ve been doing this since January, and although it’s been difficult, it’s been an amazing experience for our family. Just two weeks ago, all four of us were sitting in the family room reading books and magazines. We’ve also done much more together, as a family.

If I’m right, many of your customers (especially busy executives) are feeling the same way. Your print communication may be just what they need.

Online content marketing is definitely here to stay. So say “yes” to social media, apps, and the rest of it. But don’t forget that print can still play an important role in your overall content marketing mix.

Print marketing has undergone a paradigm shift.

Over the last few years there has been a big change in the way that businesses market and promote their businesses.

Google, Facebook and digital marketing is increasing rapidly.

While advertising in printed versions of Yellow Pages and many newspapers is shrinking rapidly.

Does this mean that print marketing is now dead?

Not at all.

I personally believe that print marketing (done well) is one of the most effective and profitable marketing strategies that you can use.

Here are some interesting print marketing statistics that are worth knowing:

1: Approximately 2 out of 5 consumers will check out a new business after receiving print marketing from the company. With repeat mailing, this response jumps exponentially, and this method also greatly increases your brand exposure and builds a personal connection with the consumer.

If you send out a few printed items for marketing, you could boost your sales and reputation significantly.

2: Only 2 per cent of consumers do not open their mail on the day that it was received, and this statistic shows why direct mail advertising can be so effective.

Ninety eight per cent of the population opens their mail that day, getting your message and marketing out there as soon as possible.

This fact makes a time sensitive campaign easy to plan and execute.

3: Almost half of the people who receive print marketing in the mail will keep these items for future reference if the products or services are something that they consumer may need later on.

4: More than 90 per cent of younger consumers who shop on a regular basis prefer print marketing when they are researching products and making important decisions on purchasing.

5: Print marketing does not have to ignore new technology; more than 35 per cent of companies integrate QR codes, NFC technology, and other innovative techniques in their printed materials. These components can help consumers find your website and products on the Internet, and provide essential information and answers that consumers may be looking for.

6: According to the Direct Mail Association, companies who use direct mail advertising get a 13 to 1 return on their investment, and this is very impressive when the ROI on other advertising methods are considered. Since this type of campaign is fairly inexpensive even the smallest businesses can benefit without breaking the bank.

I had a chat recently with Shane Devlin the owner of Graphix Explosion one of my favourite printing companies.

I asked Shane if he could share some examples and thoughts about how businesses are using print marketing to boost their sales and revenues.

Let me pass you over to Shane for his comments…

Print marketing - an industry insight: Consumable v Promotional print.

What we have observed is that the real change that leads people to think that print is dead, is that what we call consumable print, eg. letterheads, quotes, envelopes, invoice paper etc. has all but been replaced by email and modern accounting/quoting systems.

This type of printing is a direct cost and if you don’t need it, why would you buy it?
(Every dollar saved in this area of your business is a dollar’s profit.)

Promotional print is a completely different story – every marketing dollar you spend here that makes you more than a dollar, is an investment in your business.

And the more businesses that get confused by this difference and don’t use print in their marketing, the more valuable it will be to those that do!”

Here are two examples of how well promotional printing works…

Example 1: Graphix Explosion.

“We started our printing company in 1995 from scratch (zero customers) with the knowledge that 5-7 points of contact are required before you have any chance of a new client doing business with you.

The quickest and best way we could think of to get our name out there was to print flyers and do a business PO Box and postie drop to every business in the area.

We initially did these flyer drops 6 times a year, and 20 years later, still do 4 flyer drops a year.

The results were instant – not enough to actually recoup our upfront costs, but the lifetime value of a client well and truly makes it worthwhile.

These days we not only get payback, but it always gets us new clients, and prompts existing clients to both re-order and often purchase new products they haven’t ordered before.

We have tried, tested and measured every type of marketing out there, and nothing has come close to being as effective as printed promotional material -flyer drops, notepads, calendars, pens etc.

Example 2: Camelot Group.

They are a nationwide multi-site company offering financial planning and risk services and they are our largest client that still uses good old fashioned branded letterheads, envelopes and labels. With these very simple marketing tools, they use the direct marketing approach to their existing database.

In their General Manager, Tina Evans’, own words:

“We want the logo on show all of the time, so we use branded envelopes as we know that each time a client looks at their mail, Camelot stands out. They will know it is something relevant to their risk or investment strategies and will open it. We use the Camelot logo stickers on our client reward magazines, when our clients have given us a referral they receive a subscription for a year. Each time they receive the magazine it has our Logo on the front, reminding them that they have been rewarded by Camelot for making sure someone else has received our great services.”

Camelot still also reward their clients with a branded calendar.

Depending on quantity, calendars cost between $5 and $10 each fully branded and full colour throughout.

Along with notepads, what else can you think of that is a welcomed gift, and yet is also a piece of blatant marketing?

Summary:

I really like the great insights by Shane on print marketing and how to use it effectively.

You may like to test using print marketing in your own business as well.

‘The printing press is the greatest weapon in the armoury of the modern commander.’ – T. E. Lawrence

Action Step:

Talk to your favourite digital printer and ask them for ideas on how you can market your business using promotional printing.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the huge number of affordable ways to use digital printing to boost sales that you may not have considered.

Source

Graham McGregor is a consultant specialising in memorable marketing. You can download his 396 page ‘Unfair Business Advantage’ Ebook at no charge from www.theunfairbusinessadvantage.com.

250 x business cards – digital print, 4 colours, 2 sides on stock 350gsm satin matt or gloss art, plus 500 x DLE flyers (99mm x 210mm), 4 colours, 2 sides on 150gsm satin matt or gloss art, only $ 220.00 + GST

Or 500 x business cards digital print 4 colours 2 sides on stock 350gsm satin matt or gloss art, plus 1000 x DLE flyers (99mm x 210mm), 4 colours, 2 sides on 150gsm satin matt or gloss art, only $ 250.00 + GST

From print ready PDF supplied to MC2 specifications – this offer is valid until the end of the financial year March 31st 2016.

Design is a complex and multilayered industry, and just as good design begins about ten steps before pen actually hits paper (or tablet, as it were), neither does it end when the final digital proofs are approved and delivered. The actual implementation of the design must be treated with considerable thought and care as well, if you’re interested in gaining maximum effect from the design itself. The most common implementation questions we come across are often in regards to printing… what finishes to use, what stock, and most often, should we use digital or offset printing?

In the past decade, digital printing has benefited from a surge in popularity… due to a combination of increased affordability, technical advancements, and the availability of more options than were previously possible in digital print. Literally hundreds of new digital print companies have opened their doors online, making commercial print solutions more readily available to everyone. That said, this growth in popularity has also caused quite a bit of confusion for those not “in the biz”, and a few unscrupulous (or plain inexperienced) companies are taking advantage of this confusion… resulting in a large proportion of print consumers walking away with a product that does not meet their needs.

An understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of digital printing versus those of traditional offset lithography, is crucial in making the right choice in your printing company.

MECHANICAL PROCESS

OFFSET: Offset lithography is the most commonly trusted high volume commercial printing technology. In offset printing, the design image is first burned onto a plate, and is then transferred (or offset) from the plate to a rubber sheet, and finally to the printing surface. The lithographic process is based on the repulsion of oil and water. The image to be printed gets ink from ink rollers, while the non printing area attracts a film of water, keeping the non printing areas ink-free.

DIGITAL: If you have a desktop printer at home, you’re likely already familiar with the mechanical process of digital printing. Many of the mechanical steps required for offset printing are eliminated (namely, making films and color proofs, manually stripping the pieces together, and making plates), which results in a much more affordable print solution.

ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL & OFFSET METHODS

DIGITAL ADVANTAGES:

In general…
1. Shorter turnaround
2. Lower costs for very small print runs
3. Availability of variable data printing (database driven, e.g. mailing lists)

OFFSET ADVANTAGES:

In general…
1. Higher image quality, higher resolution and no streaks/spots.
2. Works on a wide range of printing surfaces including paper, wood, cloth, metal, leather, rough paper and plastic.
3. The unit cost goes down as the quantity goes up.
4. Quality and cost-effectiveness in high volume jobs.
5. Many modern offset presses use computer-to-plate (as opposed to the older computer-to-film system) further increasing quality.

HOW TO DECIDE?

Use this checklist to help decide:

[ ] Quantity

Offset printing has a front-end cost load, which means short runs (low quantities) may have a high per-unit cost. But as quantities increase, the unit cost goes down with offset printing. Very short runs can be more cost effective with digital printing; while larger quantities are likely to have a lower unit cost with offset printing.

[ ] Printing Medium

Do you need or want a special paper, finish or unusual printing surface, or unique size? The options are getting better for digital, but offset printing still offers the most flexibility.

[ ] Colour

Digital presses use four-colour process (CMYK) printing. If you need only black ink or one or two ink colors, offset printing may offer a more cost-effective solution. If you need four-color printing, digital may offer advantages in lower up-front costs. That said, a few progressive modern offset printing companies are now offering rich full-colour printing, with no added plate/setup fees for additional colours.

[ ] Pantone®

If you’re planning to print using the Pantone® Matching System, offset printing will give you the best match, since it uses actual Pantone® ink. Digital printing simulates the color using a four-color matching process, so some digital printers may offer less accurate color matching on projects.

[ ] Turnaround

If you need it fast, digital usually offers quicker delivery. Again though, a few select offset print houses are now offering print turnaround in as short a timeframe as 24 hours.

[ ] Proofing

Digital offers more accurate proofs, since what you see is an actual sample of the printed piece, printed using the exact process as the intended run. For offset printing, if you need hard proofs, stringently accurate colour proofing can become expensive.

[ ] Customization

With the ease of database driven variable data printing, digital printing offers the most affordable way to customize marketing materials, direct mail pieces, letters, etc. with a different name/address or number/code on each printed piece.

OFFSET PRINTING vs DIGITAL, A SUMMARY

Digital printing can be the ideal solution for some people, but in our experience, computer-to-plate offset lithography (combined with respectably high quality stock and finishing) always yields the superior result in print quality. The trick then becomes finding the right partner.

Over the years, we have sampled the services of dozens of local and global print houses, and have painstakingly hand-picked a small selection of partners who put out consistently high-quality product, on time and in budget… with whom we have since developed trade agreements. Not everyone is able to invest this sort of research into choosing the right print partner, but to ensure the best results, we would strongly suggest that you follow these minimal steps:

1. Leave Nothing to Chance
Be very specific with your print company when communicating which stock you want used, which colours, which process (digital vs offset) and what sort of finishing or coating you want on your cards.

2. Get Samples
Before initiating your print project, request samples from your prospective print companies. All reputable print houses have a standing offer of free samples expressly for this purpose.

3. Proof
If you are managing your own print project, and are working with a local firm, be sure to request a pre-press proof before authorizing the full run. This will allow you to confirm that the company understood your specific instructions outlined in item 1 above. It will also allow you a hands-on preview of the final product, so you can catch any imperfections ahead of time. If you are working with a remote partner, be sure to request a digital proof… while this requires an element of trust in terms of the stock and finish, a digital proof will allow you to ensure all visuals are to spec.

In the end, a good design cannot fully live up to its potential when run on a shoddy print job. If you are as careful and selective in choosing a print partner as you were in choosing a design firm, you can ensure that the physical product that actually reaches your partners or customers is of the highest possible quality.

Because all things considered, high quality is precisely the message you want to deliver.

Sage Media is an international corporate design firm based in Ottawa, Ontario.

In spite of all the technology changes underfoot, the offset printing process is still used for applications that range from commercial to packaging to direct mail. While each of these markets face their own challenges, there are some similarities, most notably the need to add digital capabilities to stay competitive. The influence of digital technologies is apparent throughout the workflow as a cost and time saving measure, and as a means to insure that a shop can deliver cutting-edge capabilities to its clients.

A recent report from Smithers Pira, “The Future of Offset vs Digital Printing to 2018,” details how the issue of direct competition between digital and offset printing is a daily occurrence for print service suppliers, specifically in determining which process they should use for a particular job.

According to the report, in 2008 the value of all digital printing accounted for less than 18.5 percent of the offset market; by 2018, however, it will be worth almost 50 percent of the offset sector worldwide, and even higher in the more mature print regions. The fact that digital’s share of offset volume is much lower reflects the higher per unit costs being obtained for digital print than for offset. The volume of all offset prints is projected to fall by 10.2 percent worldwide between 2008 and 2018, while digital print volume is forecast to grow by 68.1 percent.

Shrinking run lengths is a concern among all offset printing markets, but in the direct mail market, complex direct mail packages are helping to pump up revenues. “Many winning direct mail packages today require more operations that command a higher cost per package, which helps to compensate for the shorter runs,” says Debora Haskel, VP Marketing IWCO Direct, a leading provider of a full suite of direct marketing solutions. “Some of the price erosion for offset can be mitigated by more complex packages that drive a higher response to meet the ROI demands of our customers.”

Adds Haskell, “The magic of direct mail has always been and continues to be that response can be measured. Customers are employing sophisticated multivariate testing and more complex direct mail packages to drive response. It’s working. Clients are reporting double- and even triple-digit lift in gross response rate based on formats that we are designing for both offset and digital platforms.”

Headquartered in Chanhassen, Minnesota, IWCO Direct is knee-deep in offering paper-based direct mails services, as well as postal optimization strategies and cross-channel marketing.

“One of the largest areas of impact of the digital transformation is on our capital investment process,” notes Haskel.

“When an offset press requires a significant investment for refurbishing or upgrade, we now consider if digital technology will have a more positive impact on meeting customer needs and ultimately, on our bottom line.”

This past July, IWCO Direct expanded its direct mail personalization capabilities with the installation of an Océ ColorStream 3900 digital inkjet printer at its Chanhassen headquarters.

In May 2012, Wilen Direct, Deerfield Beach, FL, another leading direct mail house, announced a different route, installing the Kodak Prosper S10 four-color imprinting system, which uses Kodak Stream inkjet technology and Kodak Versamark CS410 system controller. The hybrid printing solution gives Wilen the ability to provide personalized direct mail at speeds matching those of its web offset presses and finishing lines. Wilen uses the Pitney Bowes Print+ Messenger color inkjet aystem to create individually customized envelopes.

Personalization, however, is just one of the reasons direct mail houses are looking toward digital. The marrying of technologies such as QR codes and augmented realty with paper direct mail campaigns is also making digital more attractive.

DTS Output, El Dorado Hills, CA, part of the Customer Communications Segment of DST Systems, Inc., produces and delivers its trade confirmations and broker-dealer, bank, and tax statements, in addition to offering fulfillment, direct mail, and warehouse distribution services. The scope of what this segment produces is in the numbers: in 2012, it produced more than 3.5 billion transactional communications that were received via postal, e-mail, Web, and mobile applications.

According to Dave Saavedra, Corporate Communications, DST Output, the company began moving its processes to digital 12 years ago from producing forms offset. Forms are now produced 100 percent inkjet. “Selling our our offset business had a very positive impact to our bottom line,” says Saavedra.

While DST Output doesn’t often run shells offset, “when we do, they are very competitively priced—not less than digital forms manufacturing, but getting closer,” says Saavedra.

Inkjet is compelling as customers look to shave costs off their mailings, and for shorter turnaround times. But they are also looking for higher resolutions and larger color gamuts—areas that offset often has inkjet beat. “Customers are looking for additional flexibility in terms of substraights available and different finishing options,” says Saavedra.

For IWCO Direct, the digital transformation is having an impact on workflow and technology, as it considers best practices for all platforms.

“Our platform makes use of both offline inkjet for personalization of offset production and continuous full-variable inkjet,” says Haskel. “We are making significant investments in workflow, digital asset management, and proofing solutions to support both platforms. This also requires an expansion of our content management team and training across our enterprise for our customer-facing team including creative services, client services, and sales. In other words, this is not just a change for operations and production—it impacts everyone.”

Clients, too, are looking for “best practices,” says Haskel, asking to be educated on how to optimize digital and understand how to determine which platform makes the most sense for their programs.

“Our customers want to know how to use the scope and breadth of our platform to their best advantage,” says Haskell. “They want and need education on how to design for digital and how to understand the best platform for each of their programs. They know that they must design for the digital platform in order to see the lift in response the platform promises, but many clients don’t know where to start. We are focused on providing this education through our Education Centers in Pennsylvania and Minnesota, our blog, and our business review process.”