While online marketing is set to exceed television as the number 1 advertising medium for 2017, that doesn’t mean that print has become completely obsolete. In fact, I was actually curious about this and set out to do a little investigating. Every Wednesday I receive a neatly bundled mass of flyers, circulars and coupons tightly bound with an elastic. It made me wonder how many other households receive the same stack which eventually finds its way into the recycle box? How many people actually go through them? The answers may surprise you.
The Decline of Print Advertising
Would you believe that in North America alone, over $15 billion is spent on flyer advertising? Clearly businesses still see the value in the printed ad, but why? One of the reasons is that print is viewed as a more credible form of advertising. With increased use of the internet and social media, identifying truth from fake news may require more critical thinking. While printed ads may appear as more trustworthy, this type of marketing continues to decline in favour of the digital media. Predictions indicate that it will continue to decline well into 2019.
Despite the rise of internet marketing options, most marketing experts would agree that print isn’t going away anytime soon. Surveys show that when it comes to looking for a bargain, paper-based flyers and circulars continue to be sifted through even over digital flyers. This is especially true with an older demographic that still appreciates the tangibility of paper.
Retailers have moved to a combination of print and digital flyers. Although they recognize that the digital world continues to be on the upward trend, they still dedicate a smaller budget to print. There are many advantages to using the internet and social media feeds for marketing but the main reason is cost. It’s far less expensive and sometimes even free.
Print advertising may not be as popular with some businesses these days, but it is still a very useful method of promotion. The best option is to use a combination of both online and print marketing, to reach as many people as possible in as many ways as possible.
As for that pile of flyers I get every week? Well, to be honest, I rarely go through them. In fact, it often goes from the front door straight into the recycle bin. I simply don’t have the time or inclination to go through them. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please don’t hesitate to connect with me.
If you want to read more information on this topic, you may be interested in the following articles:
Print Advertising Trends For 2017
Why printed flyers still work
