What if you could take the same printed piece you sent out last week, and redo just a few things on it to get 70% more engagement? It could be possible by engaging the one thing that all humans find irresistible in print.
Print, as we all know, is a solidly tangible medium. In fact, it’s that tangible nature that print lovers often cite when researchers ask why they prefer print over digital. And for the younger generation, this tangible medium also plays into a love for things retro; tangible is cool again.
Because it’s tangible, it has a marketing superpower that many brands are rediscovering.
“Print media is unique in its capability to trigger a number of senses; of course the feeling of paper, the smell of the ink or of an added scent, paper can be eaten or even listened to (when a chip is added),” notes this article in PrintPower.
“Paper can change colour when heated or put in front of a light, an ad can feel rough as sand or smooth as silk, all adding to the sensory experience of the advertising. Triggering multiple senses will add to the effectiveness of print advertising,” the article continues.
How much can it add? According to sensory expert Martin Lindstrom, cited in the article, “when brands appeal to more than three senses, advertising effectiveness will increase with 70 per cent.”
(Lindstrom quite literally wrote the book on this stuff; his title “Brand Sense: Sensory Secrets Behind the Stuff We Buy,” explores the results of a massive sensory study done by Millward Brown. He uses the findings to help brands understand the power of the sensory experience in their own marketing experience. Fascinating stuff.)
When you combine this sensory appeal, it plays into what we already know about print; it’s power to build deep engagement, and the way print works in our brains.
Print in the marketing mix? Of course; that’s a given by now. For the modern marketer, it’s time to take it up a notch and engage a few more senses. Add a rough texture to your cover; use a new paper stock that feels great; go for huge visual appeal with a spot gloss or special ink.
Freeport Press is installing a new UV coating line on one of the most efficient and highest quality web presses available today! This new coating line will be available this November 2017! Stay tuned to find out more!
Engage three senses, get a 70% bump. We like that math.