As digital technologies grow and become mainstream in the marketing mix, the print and paper industry evolves with it.  Digital marketing is not going to replace print messages, rather digital and print work together to create highly targeted and successful cross media marketing campaigns.

Unlike digital media, print cannot be easily ignored without reading a single word.  In fact, 80 percent of people read their direct mail messages — a 14% increase over the past decade.  The average open rate of email messages has continually decreased throughout the past 10 years by over 50 percent.

Additionally, according to a DMA study, direct mail’s average ROI (across all industries) equates to a 13 to one ratio in its return on marketing investment — with the average company investing $167 per person and receiving over $2,000 per person in return.

Furthermore, print is a credible source of information.  Recent studies have shown that more people will believe and trust printed messages before they will trust online or digital messages.   While digital media is a fast and easy way to communicate, it’s easier for false information to be spread, which makes it a less trustworthy form of communication.

There is one more element of print that the digital medium may never be able to replace, print’s tangibility.  The tangibility of print makes your message harder to be ignored by your target audience.  Between direct mailing, brochures and printed posters, these communications methods all have the ability to be touched and held in the recipient’s hands.

Both print and digital are powerful forms of communication, when they’re combined together, they increase their overall reach and frequency and your message is more likely to be seen, read, retained and responded to by your target audience.

Timothy Freeman

President

Print & Graphic Communications Association