POWER OF PRINT

The power of print

The St Austell Printing Company explains how the sustainable and effective use of print can deliver added value to your marketing.

For many hospitality and tourism businesses, the rule book for marketing has been thrown out of the window, as we adapt to an ever-changing situation of social distancing, lockdowns and business closures.

With emergency business planning and budgets being stretched further than ever before, it’s crucial to ensure that all marketing platforms justify their investment – and it’s never been more important to use print to make an impact. The Covid-19 pandemic has seen an increase in the number of people spending time online – and of course, businesses have followed this trend with reports of a significant increase in online advertising throughout 2020. However, this means it has

49% more effective than email and 35% stronger than social media advertising.

become more of a challenge to get your message in front of the right people in a meaningful way as you fight against competitors for space in people’s online timelines. “Print cuts through the digital noise and offers a form of escapism” Print’s tangibility feels ‘human and real’ against a backdrop of fleeting, competing communication vying for people’s attention. It’s engaged with, and remembered by, people of all ages – even younger and more digitally engaged audiences. Print cuts through the digital noise and offers a form of escapism – when someone picks up your print, you have their undivided attention. You’re selling something aspirational; a romantic weekend away, a family holiday or a day out making memories. This is a decision led by the heart, with foundations built to inspire and excite, combined with a hunger for credibility. By using a paper stock which feels distinctive or specialist finishing such as foiling to capture people’s attention, you can promote the quality of your offering. Print also creates an emotional connection with the reader. Quality print helps to promote trust and because it’s a multi-sensory experience, the reader’s brain reacts and retains the information differently to other marketing platforms. “It’s not unusual for brochures to live on a coffee table for weeks” If your print is of exceptional quality, then it’s more likely to be retained for longer. It’s not unusual for brochures to live on a coffee table for weeks, being revisited and leafed-through. High end retail brands are now using printed brochures and catalogues more than ever, combining aspirational lifestyle images with beautiful paper stock and specialist finishing to create a showcase for their brand. Print can now be used so creatively and in tandem with digital marketing to develop a trusted and long-lasting relationship with customers, encouraging them to engage with your brand and ultimately entice them to complete a purchase. “94% of mail is engaged with in some way and is 49% more effective than email alone”

This is backed up by research carried out by Royal Mail which found that 87% of UK Consumers said they were influenced to make online purchases as a result of receiving direct mail. Royal mail also commissioned independent neurological research which shows that mail has a power impact on retaining information – 49% more effective than email and 35% stronger than social media advertising. However, when used in conjunction, printed marketing can boost the effectiveness of these digital platforms. Memory encoding for social media advertising was 44% higher when people had seen print first. Mail reaches people directly in their homes and gains their full attention. JICMAIL is the independent body that collates and reports the effectiveness and engagement of direct printed marketing through door drops and direct mail. Its data shows that 94% of mail is engaged with in some way and that addressed advertising mail is interacted with four times on average. “European forests, which provide wood for making paper products, have been growing by 1,500 football pitches every day!” Source FAO, 2020, TwoSides.info Let’s not forget about the sustainability credentials of print too. Paper is one of the most recycled products in the world, so sustainable in fact, that European forests, where most of the raw material comes from, grew by an area the size of Switzerland (58,000 sq km) over just 15 years. The environmental impacts of our ever-increasing digital world cannot be ignored. The ICT industry accounts for around 2.5-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions and this is predicted to rise to 14% by 2040. Businesses and individuals are increasingly using ‘cloud’ services which rely on mega data-centres to store almost everything we do online; including our web searches, our social media posts and our online statements.

By using FSC paper from sustainable forests alongside working with an environmental printing company, consumers can be assured that by using effective print marketing you’re not compromising your environmental values. “Consumers are willing to pay a premium for products from a sustainable brand” “There is accumulating evidence that consumers are impacted by the perceived sustainability of a brand,” says neuroscientist Dr Matt Johnson, World Land Trust, “and that consumers are willing to pay a premium for products from a sustainable brand over a nonsustainable competitor brand.” In support of this ethos, St Austell Printing Company (SAPC) strengthened its sustainability credentials by becoming an official Carbon Balanced Printer with the World Land Trust. This enables all clients to demonstrate their own environmental commitments by using the World Land Trust logo on their printing to show that their print project – including the manufacturing process and the paper - is carbon balanced.

SAPC has also been a member of Two Sides for many years and is a keen supporter of the ‘Love Paper’ campaign, which promotes the benefits of print and paper. Two Sides is an independent organisation which researches and promotes the environmental credentials of print and paper. “The environment is a key focus for our business, we are pleased to be longstanding members of Two Sides and tell the great sustainable story of paper and print”, says Jon Hart SAPC’s national sales manager. SAPC specialises in working with the tourism and hospitality sector to create aspirational and effective printed marketing materials. If you would like to chat about ways we can help you to embrace the exciting opportunities print brings then please get in contact with our friendly team of experts on 01726 624900, or email info@sapc.co.uk

www.sapc.co.uk www.twosides.info www.carbonbalancedpaper.com