Advantages of Advertising in Print

Credibility and Authority

The “halo effect” is a powerful tool. This is the subconscious phenomenon that suggests the positive feelings associated with a publication will also be associated the brands who advertise within these publications. For newer brands specifically this is a great approach as you will be able to dovetail on the success of an existing publication. Your organization may still be a startup or only a few years old, but if the magazine with a 30 year history or the newspaper that was started 100 years prior is featuring your products, your authority and credibility will be inherent to the readership.

Catch Consumers at the Optimal Moment

There has been an incredible pendulum swing over the past few decades that what was once decreasing print readership is actually bringing audience’s back, proving the longevity and staying power of print. The mindfulness movement is a popular reaction to our faster and more dizzying world. Technology upsurges particularly since the 1990s have drastically increased the speed of most people’s lives. More and more individuals are tired of being strapped to their devices, and they are consciously planning time into their days and weeks to put electronics away, and be mindful and present with the tangible items around them. Printed mediums are perfect during these moments. This also allows your ad to reach consumers at the exact time that they are best suited to receive it: when they are calm, focused, and engaged. Suddenly it makes sense why your colorful, uplifting magazine spread will leave a far more powerful impression than just another cheesy facebook ad we’re all inundated with regularly.

Print Ads Incite Action

There is something about print that adds urgency to any campaign. In a world where we are so accustomed to having virtually anything readily available at our fingertips, it’s far too easy to put things off or come back to things later. How compelling it is to know that once you walk away from this poster or throw out that direct mailer, the opportunity to leverage a particular offer will be gone. It is a unique and pressing feeling for us to see that the messaging in front of our eyes is truly only available via this tangible printed medium right now as we’re seeing it. This is why it is crucial to design offers that are custom and unique to your print mediums. Now we wouldn’t want to suggest that a great print ad would make a comprehensive digital strategy obsolete, however it can marry very harmoniously to make performance of both assets dramatic. Use methods like QR codes or easy-to-remember URLs that will bridge the gap between your customers’ print and online experience. Keep in mind also that statistically speaking, a well developed print ad will evoke 65% of print readers to follow up with some sort of call to action versus an average of just 5% with digital consumers, as reported by the Nielson Global Trust. Leverage this aspect to your advantage by combining the best of both digital and print worlds and bolstering the growth of your entire organization.