Print is emotional. It’s a simple fact, paper-based marketing leaves a more lasting impression on the viewer. Scientists have been able to see the different responses to digital or printed materials by conducting functional MRI of the brain. While this is something we’ve known all along, it doesn’t hurt to be able to point to science for backup. Lorrie Bryan, Connect Magazine contributing writer, has expanded on this in Part 2 of her Something Old, Something New piece:
Something Old, Something New
The Intimacy of Print
Lorrie Bryan
Business-to-business marketers are finding that good, old-fashioned “snail” mail is becoming one of the most effective ways to get their printed message in front of the right people. Studies indicate that, while the average businessperson receives in excess of 100 emails a day, he receives a personal mail piece once every seven weeks. This underutilized medium can serve as an invaluable way to garner the attention of prospective clients. And advances in print technology offer new ways to get your message across.
Print today is more versatile than ever,” says Crystal McKinsey, founder and CEO of the integrated marketing communications firm McKinsey Development. “In fact, with the advent of inkjet printing technology, a brand can print on almost anything. Print pieces can also be more personalized than ever before. Variable data printing, for example, allows a marketer to customize and personalize brand messaging by criteria ranging from industry to gender, brand purchase history, and more.”
QR codes continue to be a useful bridge from print to digital marketing, and many people are using QR codes as part of an integrated messaging campaign – even brides. A classic engraved wedding invitation (a mingling of gold and copper inks on pearl white, 100 percent cotton paper) that displays a QR code (that links to a website with gift registries, videos of the bride and groom, and directions to the wedding venue) is the perfect melding of something old and something new.
Crane & Co., which has been evolving and thriving for more than two centuries, prides itself on impeccable hand craftsmanship and celebrating the tradition of classic correspondence. They are one of the first major invitation retailers to offer wedding invitations with QR codes that link to a wedding website.
Katie Lacey, president of Crane Stationery says, “I think the most successful communicators find a way to combine the two, whether it is by including a letterpress printed QR code on an invitation or an engraved Twitter handle on a business card.”
NextPage has been a leader in personalized printing for nearly 20 years. We have tons of case studies and client examples that show personalization both in variable data printing and variable email. For details on how your company can use these tools to connect with your customers and prospects, invite us in for a no obligation strategy session.