Bill explains the importance of print for the future of marketing and how it is a sustainable option for businesses.
Why is Print Still Important?
Print always has been and will continue to be an important part of any marketing communications plan and we would suggest that any business that neglects print completely, does so at great risk to their engagement and sales levels. As printers, we may be considered bias but our thoughts are supported by significant research and just some of the supporting statistics include the following from the BPIF (British Printing Industries Federation)
- Campaigns including print are 67% more effective at delivering new customers than those without.
- 21% of all addressed mail and door drop items go on to create a commercial action.
- Newspaper ads are viewed 2.5 times longer than the average digital ad.
Alongside these statistics, print has been proven to increase trust and loyalty with reported figures being as high as 60% of consumers that they trust print more than other advertising channels. As well as printed material being retained for longer, it also significantly aids recall compared to digital alternatives. Whether you’re producing training material or educational content, we would highly recommend the production of print versions.
With the younger generation becoming more aware of the health issues relating to screen time, we’re anticipating that print demand will continue to grow over the next 10 years, with key messaging being reinforced digitally.
We’re huge believers in print, not only because it’s our business but because it works in terms of driving trust & loyalty and connecting businesses globally. Our industry is committed to doing the right thing to preserve our planet and our contribution to the UK economy is invaluable.
Is print sustainable?
59% of Europeans believe that our forests are shrinking and this couldn’t be further from the truth. European Forests have actually been growing by over 1,500 football pitches every day and these forests supply over 90% of the wood used by the European paper industry.
As an industry we’re committed to a move towards carbon neutrality and at Printmarshall we ensure that all of our paper is FSC accredited. FSC is the Forest Stewardship Council. They’re a not-for-profit organisation that’s dedicated to the promotion of responsible forest management worldwide.
In addition to this, we’re committed to reducing our impact right here in the UK so we’ve signed up to the Carbon Capture scheme. Managed by The Woodland Trust and the Woodland Carbon Scheme, it’s a method of mitigating CO2 emissions from paper purchases by planting native woodland.
How can I give my printed material more impact?
People naturally judge a business based on the quality of their print material and as an example, cheap quality, poorly designed business cards can give the worst first impression.
These are just some of the ways that we’d recommend for elevating your material to the next level:
- Ensure that you use good quality, high resolution images either produced by a professional photographer or sourced from a professional stock library.
- We would always recommend using professional copywriters to ensure that you get your message across clearly and consistently.
- Good quality graphic design is a given to ensure that your printed material is impactful and professionally presented, whilst representing your brand in a consistent way that’s reflective of your company values and unique selling points.
- You could also embellish your print with special finishes including laminates, foiling, and UV varnish.
- To create additional stand-out you could die-cut your print material which involves cutting it into a unique shape.
Are promotional gifts worth the money?
The answer to this is most definitely yes. Promotional merchandise genuinely does deliver results and research carried out by the British Promotional Merchandise Association proves it.
- 96% of recipients said that promotional merchandise increases brand awareness.
- 55% of respondents are more favourable to a brand after receiving a promotional gift.
- 83% of people who receive promotional merchandise can remember the brand advertised for an average of 12 months.
- 79% said they were likely to do business with the company in the future.
We always send out promotional material and we can definitely say that it’s contributed to the growth of our business. From calendars that are in full view for a year, through to notepads, coasters, and of course our famous Toblerones.
If you have any more questions for Bill, give us a call on 01733 340686 or email sales@printmarshall.co.uk