The Print Industry has taken a hit for sure because of COVID and many businesses evolved their communications, training, and the like to rely less on the print medium. While this can clearly save some money for a business, it puts you in the online sphere of forgetfulness. There are billions, and I do mean billions of businesses online competing for attention. Yet that competition is not as fierce in the actual world.
Think about it. On average we walk the same route, shop at the same grocery store, and run into the same people on any given day. Our "real" inboxes sitting on our desks are empty. The number of people handing me a business card has shrunk. The number of reps that actually want to come to my office has decreased.
So when I saw this video about a company in the Netherlands using their product packaging in such a way that encourages customers to keep it, I thought to myself, "brilliant!"
Click here to see the video.
Product packaging has always held importance, but this company thought "outside the box" (pun intended) to not just drive branding but to create a story, a toy for the kids, and standout. Imagine if you packaged your service or product in such a way that made people hold onto it (I'm not including regular boxes as "cat toys" because cats will literally try to squeeze in any box, and you are only impacting less than half the population that owns cats).
Studies have shown the impact of tangible pieces, promotional items, and printed material has an advantage.
Studies published by Temple University's neuroscience research firm True Impact and other research institutions suggest that printed marketing materials tend to outperform digital along several key dimensions. These include reading comprehension, recall, emotional impact, and persuasiveness.(Digital vs Print: What Science has to Say About Memory, Emotional Impact, Comprehension and Persuasion)
Naysayers will comment, "But Eric, why are you using a blog to get the word out if print is so great." Good point. But I also print a regular newsletter and this blog with more images and examples will be there. It's not one over the other but using multi-channels.
My point and the point of the article "Digital vs.Print" is that people like tangible items, especially if they are clever. I've been asked, recently, if business cards are really that important anymore; after all, I can share my contact information between phones more easily. That is true, and after you depart from the conversation that contact just becomes part of a sea of other contacts you've collected in your "Contacts."
When something is easy or regular we tend to forget it. Think about it. What is done regularly just becomes part of your muscle memory - you don't even think about it - you just do it. If you are networking and continuously share information via your phone with all those you speak with, you are not memorable nor are the people you've spoken with.
"Yeah, but business cards...they are so boring." They can be. I tell my clients to rethink the purpose of the business card. If you create something that is memorable, unique, and worthy of my attention, then I'll hold onto it. I will make a connection with you, and likely share it with friends. Click on the image below to go to the FlipBook version of my
printed newsletter article for examples of what I'm talking about.
All channels have advantages, but with real inboxes being empty, fewer visitors showing at your door, and less printed material being given, go where your competition isn't and make your brand stand out. We can help you come up with ideas and show you many more. That's why we are here to help advise you on the materials and printing capabilities, and die-cuts that will make you more memorable.