With the influx of Christmas cards and beautiful brochures landing through our doors this month, there is little doubt that the festive season is well and truly upon us. As we flick through the sumptuously presented items on offer and read through the hand-written greetings and sentiments from friends and family, it got us thinking, that in a digital age of email and technology, there really is still a place for printed media. But what are the benefits and how you can this support your own marketing?
An alternative shop window
Clearly there are huge benefits of digital marketing methods, including the immediacy and cost effectiveness of email and social media campaigns. However, it was when perusing the gorgeous White Company, Not on the High St and Loaf brochures with a hot cuppa, curled up on the sofa, that got us thinking about the power of print and its effectiveness in creating a more experiential, tactile and emotive marketing experience that other channels simply can’t match.
Unlike digital platforms, print media provides an alternative shop window for brands, delivered straight to people’s homes and hearts. Printed media has the power of engaging the customer by creating a more sensory experience, where a kaleidoscope of colour, design, print and texture combine to draw the reader in and tempt them into a purchase. From unusual print techniques, stock types and textures to a mesmerising myriad of colour palettes; brands are able to connect and differentiate themselves from their competitors.
Printed media has the power of engaging the customer by creating a more sensory experience, where a kaleidoscope of colour, design, print and texture combine to draw the reader in and tempt them into a purchase.
Sarah McCrady, Absolute Agency Despite being primarily online retailers, companies like Not on the High St and Boden take advantage of print media to tell their brand stories, profiling and positioning products that might ordinarily be overlooked online. John Lewis is another retailer getting it right this year with a Christmas campaign enveloped in rich textures and colours that shouts luxe and decadence from every angle.
Despite an increase in digital and social media marketing, the art of printed media is clearly here to stay. Like the branded flyers and brochures landing on our doorsteps, the good old Christmas card is another example of printed media not likely to die out anytime soon. The mere fact that we still like to send out Christmas cards to our nearest and dearest shows the importance of a more tactile form of communication during the season of good will. Like the big companies out there, whether it be a brochure or a card, print media is a creative and engaging channel to share key messages, conveying more about you and your brand than you might realise!
