As The Drum noted after its panel on The Power of Print at Cannes Lions 2019, print isn’t dying; it’s rediscovering its true strengths.
There are obvious reasons our clients choose print over digital for elements of their marketing campaigns: it is tangible, has a longer half-life than digital and is tactile with huge potential to delight in 3D.
But the benefits are a lot more far-reaching than that. Marketers are getting fed up of short-termism. Current analytics – skewed by digital – only measure metrics of immediate gratification as success.
Perhaps surprisingly, Millennials are enthusiastically embracing print. In valuing ‘experiences’ and seeking out the authentic, the unusual sensory experience of hand-delivered print provokes higher engagement and a greater emotional response.
Print now stands out as different- and here are some of the best brand campaigns that are harnessing the power of print:
An incredibly innovative Cannes prize-winning ad for Nivea Sun Kids combined print with wearable tech and specific targeting. The print ad included a waterproof paper wristband with a discreet locator to be worn by a child as they run around at the beach. Download the app and set the distance at which your phone sounds if your child wanders too far.
It was targeted specifically at smart phone-owning young mothers that subscribed to the largest Brazilian magazine and lived near the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Wearable, useful, reusable and certainly memorable. Who says print isn’t cutting edge?
Ikea’s extraordinary print ad offered discounts on its cot range that were not to be sneezed at, but definitely to be peed on. Yes, you read that right. The material that usually detects the hormone hCG in standard pregnancy test was incorporated into the magazine full page ad with a picture of an Ikea crib and the promise that ‘Peeing on this ad may change your life’. The wee would reveal the amount of discount if the urinator was pregnant. Also, knowing how expensive those tests are, it is a really cheap way to discover your happy news!
To encourage consumers to discover for themselves how chunky a KitKat Chunky was, a mocked-up card was created similar to those postmen leave behind when they’re unable to deliver a package. It was posted with the reason that the item was ‘too big for your letterbox’. Recipients were directed to collect their free KitKat Chunky from a local shop.
Funny, clever, key message delivered and free chocolate? Brilliant consumer buy-in and all from a humble printed mailout.
The digital first approach is well over a decade old – perhaps we should start celebrating print as the new disrupter of traditional marketing?
Leave your business’s mark on the world and in the minds of consumers. Tap into our creatives’ consciousness to renew print’s position in your marketing concept. Contact ATTAIN today.
