PRINT IS THE UNLIKELY STAR OF INTEGRATED MARKETING POST COVID – DISCUSS!

Life as we know it is returning to ‘nearly normal’. If ever there is a time for an integrated marketing plan using every channel appropriate for your business the time is now! 

This situation has cast a bright light on the importance of clear and current information to help our decision-making. Print has become an unlikely star in so many areas of our lives during this crisis – from wayfinding to reorganising our finances.

Signage and process

In the UK, we’re down to a level 3 and a socially distanced life that could remain for the foreseeable, so how are you prepared? How quickly can you react when social distance is lowered (or increased) again? 

As more people return to the workplace and things start to relax, more than ever we need clear, visual day-to-day reminders to reinforce the many ways we must keep safe while we’re out and about. Large format print is really busy at the moment with the need for floor stickers, distance signage, safety signage, hygiene stations and the like. 

Behaviour change is a big ask and needs constant reinforcement and an integrated marketing campaign will help you keep it flexible and informative at the same time. 

Speaking of returning to the office, have you checked in with your clients?

You may not have been anywhere, and your business may not be any quieter, but have you told your clients how you operate now, how you have been, what is new and what is constant? 

A simple post card or hello alongside your social media, newsletters and blogs can prompt them to recommend you or think of you for their own needs. This is the time when we need to increase marketing momentum, landing in letter boxes is easy and also very effective! Getting mail never felt so good!

Getting back to it

As our new normal develops and recession looks likely, we will have to think of even more creative ways to get into our clients’ hands. Making sure that every piece supports every other through an integrated marketing campaign will be crucial. 

Something we can touch, see, smell and experience feels just wonderful – a real world connection that is the perfect antidote to our recent, almost totally virtual lives. Print has longevity, evokes trust and is cost effective (when executed the best way by a qualified print manager with lots of marketing experience ?? ). Combine it with tech and it drives online sales brilliantly, integration creates synergy.

How do you promote high ticket or optional items in times like these?

Print is an excellent means to get products in front of clients for discretionary spending. For example, the galleries that we work with use printed catalogues to showcase their works on display. Visitors (and consumers) can take the exhibition away with them. High-end printed pieces that contain high-end messages, sent directly to your high-end clients are great investments for your brand. 

It takes at least two to tango, the integrated marketing approach wins again.

Complementing online activities with direct marketing drives conversion. It builds tangible connections with potential customers and multiplies the marketing efficiency of your online channels.

While many are hesitant with their spending, making sure that the right people are talking about you, long after you have had their immediate attention, is fundamental. Producing something physically irresistible, that they can have and hold, that is welcomed, useful and engaging is proven to work so well.

Where do we go next?

The truth is no specific medium or channel is superior to any other. Your marketing plans must help you achieve your objectives. Diversity is the clear winner – that’s why we call it a mix! So consider all channels when looking at your tactics and make sure they work together. The aftermath of these weird times will be tough. You will have to really consider every which way to get your product, your luxury or your experience into the mind of your target market and stick there.

An email can sit unnoticed and unopened in an inbox, social media is fleeting, crowded and noisy. What was the digital revolution is now just business as usual! While a piece of print is physically picked up, noticed and re-read. This interaction is deeper, more engaging and so more memorable. The creative potential and the targeting opportunities make direct mail a flexible marketing tool that gives you the power to grow both short-term and long-term value for your business.

So how could you benefit? The brand in the hand is pretty unbeatable – just look at these stats! 

• 86% of people like keeping catalogues and referring to them. 
• Direct mail will be read and re-read over 4 times on average. 
• 41% searched online for more information about a company as a result of receiving a printed item in the last year
• 70% of consumers feel more valued when contacted by mail than by email
• Want to be remembered? 49% more people recall a receiving a piece of mail over email.

Want to find out more about how NEXUScpp will help you grow your business with print as part of your integrated marketing mix. Reach your ideal clients, form deep connections and persuade them to stay with you with you? At NEXUScpp your print is always understood. Let’s talk!