New Potential of an Old Medium
Waking up most days, I walk to the front lawn and snag the paper to read while I intake my morning caffeine. I jot down a few items on the grocery list hanging on the fridge and check my day planner to see what the week holds. My husband on the other hand scrolls through news stories on his phone. He asks Alexa to add items to his Amazon cart and is alerted by his online calendar that he has a meeting later in the day.
The contentious battle of “Print Versus Digital” exists in our everyday lives, especially for those trying to decide where to best utilize their marketing budget. Since the dawn of digital media, many have been of the mindset that new is best. The same thing happened with the birth of social media. However, success stats for these platforms aren’t as high as you’d think.
Here are two important reasons why SmartBomb believes in the power of print:
1. Print has staying power
An advertisement printed in a magazine will stay alive for as long as the reader possesses the publication. While it may lack in potential for instant response, it makes up for that in longevity and tactile shareability. Readers are more likely to hang onto stacks of magazines or a newspaper clipping than they would a news story or magazine article they read online.
Ads online are generally fleeting, fast and less likely to be memorable. There are also other online pitfalls such as ad blockers, whereas print readers choose to view the content they have purchased or obtained and have no choice but to view the ads contained within the publication.
Another factor to consider is reader trust. This trust comes from a source of reliability and knowledge of where the content comes from. The editors’ and writers’ names are listed in print, and with the growing issue of #FakeNews, reader trust is a major commodity. When readers see something online, their initial response is to question its source and authenticity.
2. Print has a sense of exclusivity
It takes a considerable amount of time to produce a print publication therefore they are viewed as more exclusive than online content. The fact that a publishing house has printed the content on high-quality, expensive paper means that the content is worth something. Keep in mind also that most printed content is bought by readers, so they consider it worth something too. Online content is usually free to access (minus some paid-for content sites) and readily available. Readers can find the same news from the various sources of online publishers.
So who’s to say the right or most effective way of doing things? Sometimes it depends on the client, and sometimes it depends on the content being shared. Our philosophy is: Whatever gets the job done!