You couldn’t blame anyone for believing that increasing technological connectedness has ushered in the death of print media. But you wouldn’t be more wrong. The truth is our bombardment with digital messaging has made us immune to its effects while print media offers an escape from the ever-present screen.
Across research studies, Millennials show a distinct preference for print compared to other age groups. Perhaps it’s nostalgia for imagined simpler times or the emotional pull of that new book smell. Whatever the reason, from textbooks to beach reads, from catalogs to postcards, Millennials interact with print media at rates high enough to justify including this traditional advertising form in your bag of marketing tricks.
They’re more likely to read it than other age groups.
In The Credibility Factor, a study of 900 Virginia voters following the high profile gubernatorial race in 2017, the USPS found that nearly 8 in 10 Millennials read their mail upon seeing it as opposed to Gen Xers and Baby Boomers at 6 in 10 each.
Since direct mail is not nearly so prolific as incoming email campaigns, brands that invest in print newsletters, catalogs, and even postcards stand out from brands that rely exclusively on digital media for their messaging. In fact, nearly 9 in 10 Millennials confessed they like receiving direct mail according to a separate report by the USPS entitled Still Relevant: A Look at how Millennials Respond to Direct Mail.
They make decisions based on direct mail.
According to The Credibility Factor, direct mail was considered by all age groups to be the most credible form of political advertising. More than half of Millennials said that mail was “very” or “somewhat” helpful in reaching the voting decision. The USPS survey also indicated that 64% of Millennials would rather scan for useful information in print mail than email, and more than half have made purchases based on direct mail offers.
They process information more easily and remember it longer.
Canada Post discovered that direct mail campaigns required 21% less cognitive effort to process than a digital campaign with the same creative inspiration and messaging. In addition to being easier to process, participants in the Canada post study had a 70% higher recall when exposed to direct mail rather than a digital ad. Since Millennials are highly likely to scan print mail by their own admission, that makes analog messaging a high impact platform for this demographic.
They enjoy print mail.
It’s not just that print mail is more effective at capturing the attention of Millennials (though studies show it absolutely is). Millennials actually really enjoy receiving mail. Neuromarketing research has even found that participants have a stronger emotional response to physical ads than digital ads.
While they’re bombarded with digital media from dusk ‘til dawn, the mail comes but once a day. It’s novel, and novelty is fun. It’s so fun, in fact, that half of Millennials surveyed by the USPS liked to discover what came in the mail each day and considered time spent engaged with the mail to be time well spent.
They’ll follow the breadcrumbs back to your website.
We’ve already established that it’s easier to stand out in the mailbox than in an inbox, but print media is a valuable part of any omnichannel marketing approach. More than half of Millennials surveyed for The Credibility Factor said that mail was very or somewhat likely to cause them to go to the internet to learn more about a specific subject. A separate study conducted by Quad/Graphics showed that 84% of Millennials prefer to respond to a direct mailer by visiting a company’s website.
In other words, if you want Millennials to engage with your message, to remember it and make decisions based on it, if you want them to look forward to your ads and follow them back to your online real estate, it’s time to commit your message to paper.
Omnichannel advertising strategies to create measurable results
The Morgan & Co. team offers clients extensive knowledge and understanding of all media platforms, including print media. We combine data analytics with years of experience and technical expertise to target your ideal audience on the most effective platforms. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
