Firstly, we appreciate the irony of a digital marketing agency advocating the necessity for print marketing. However, while traditional and digital marketing appears to stand in opposition to one another, they are not mutually exclusive. The best marketing strategies employ both channels simultaneously, playing to each of their strengths. In recent years, however, there has been a clear and evident shift towards digital. In a climate where every penny of marketing expense is scrutinised, digital marketing offers superior efficiency thanks to more accurate targeting, greater depth of measurement and increased versatility. The vast array of marketing mediums available to help bring business to you allows digital marketers to be infinitely creative. Many of these new digital marketing technologies are starting to make print almost obsolete.
Is this a bad thing? Of course not. This isn’t the libraries closing because the internet is more convenient, but rather a natural evolution toward a more efficient system. This can be illustrated using a neat example from the retail sector and the use of email receipts. By replacing paper receipts with a digital copy that is emailed to the consumer, not only is the problem of losing receipts eliminated but it is also more environmentally friendly.
With this in mind, we are moving toward an age of exclusively digital interaction and it can’t come soon enough.
WRONG.
In our increasingly electronic world, there is something that people are wanting more than ever. People are unplugging. As Joe Pullizzi, author of Epic Content Marketing, says, “after a full day in front of the computer, we look forward to the opportunity to disconnect and discover”. Now, this is not to say that there will be a complete reversal of digital trends and there is likely to be a national shortage of postage stamps any day now but, in recent years, there has definitely been a re-emergence of our appreciation for the tangible. This can be seen in Baratunde Thurston’s, CEO of CultivatedWit, brilliant article in which he relays his experience of going offline for a full twenty-five day.
The Click Hub has recently invested in a branding package for current and potential clients in order to demonstrate our capabilities, and showcase our wide selection of services from SEO to branding to photography. Although we have a very efficient digital quote and report systems in place that allows us to produce and send bespoke documents within minutes, there is something that little bit more special about sending a printed package that definitely justifies the extra day required for delivery.
Printed content inherently requires more time, more investment and more attention to detail. Unlike digital, once it is paid for and produced, it cannot be edited and, therefore, there is no room for error. As a result, printed content is often given greater credibility, which leads to the saying “if someone invested enough money to print and send it, it must be important”. Our branding package is part of our ongoing rebrand and subsequent brand awareness strategy. In supplying both current and potential clients with practical merchandise which they can use every day, such as our scratch pad which is abundantly useful and remains on the desk for weeks, our brand becomes more salient to our clients.
The emergence of new marketing channels, then, doesn’t necessarily spell the end of traditional channels but instead redefines their use. The rapidity and convenience of digital marketing and communication have certainly reshaped how we can market our brands, however, there will always be the necessity to express the core values of your company through print. When choosing to use print, consider mediums that people are not able to experience online, and always remember that the quality of your branding reflects the quality of your brand.
“In our opinion, it is vital that a company does not rely solely on digital marketing to promote its business. Simple things such as a branded desk pad, notepad or pen will keep your brand constantly in sight of potential repeat customers. To back up your brand or product a printed flyer or booklet can’t be missed on someone’s desk or door mat.” – a quote from our brilliant supplier Hot Rock Print (www.hotrockprint.co.uk).
Harry Williams