Print Drives More Shoppers than Social or Mobile ads

What types of campaigns are most likely to drive in foot traffic? Print gets it done, ranking #2 overall.

Timetrades’ 2016 State of Retail Report contains some surprises for marketers who are leaning heavily on social and mobile advertising.

“Special promotions on retailer websites (55%) represent the top marketing initiative (of 7 listed) that consumers believe are most likely to draw them in-store,” writes the staff at Marketing Charts. “Interestingly, print ads (49%) rank well ahead of social campaigns (20%) and mobile ads (18%) among respondents. Meanwhile, alerts such as location-based promotions (29%) and opt-in text notifications (27%) were cited by more than one-quarter of respondents.”

It is interesting, but not really surprising to us. We’ve seen time and again that print ads engage consumers, and more savvy retailers are turning to print to tell their story.

Even heavy mobile users say they prefer print ads when it comes to shopping the sales.

For advertisers faced with the continuing digital advertising mess and the rise of ad blockers, this should come as some welcome news. While marketers may be pushing the idea of digital’s importance in driving traffic, consumers are telling a different story.

In this multi-channel world, digital is still a great way to build your brand and expand your reach, but when it comes to getting boots in the door, print’s getting it done.