The Top Ten Ways Print Helps You Prosper: #5 - Print plays well with others

Sure, the internet is cool. What's cooler is using a printed direct mail campaign to draw prospects to a personalized web site, then following up with a printed thank-you card or closer.

Yes, the World Wide Web provides a real-time interactive environment, but so do the telephone and television. Print enhances the impact of all of those media by providing your client's prospects with an extra dimension. One that's friendly. One that's warm. One that's inviting. And, one that they can't very well ignore because they're holding it right in their hands.

Consider the 2003 research published in the journal of Advertising Research, which examined the advertising impact on weekly sales of a pizza franchiser. It found that the best combination of media in driving sales is direct mail and national TV advertising used together. The print/broadcast duo doubled the impact of using any one medium alone.

An American Business Media study adds more insight into the effectiveness of combining print with other media. According to the research, B-to-B magazines were viewed by prospects as more trustworthy and objective, websites were seen as the place where they received timely information, and trade shows were viewed as the place for interactions and to improve their awareness of alternatives. That must be why smart marketers are using all three outlets to maximize their ROI.

  ©2006, The Print Council, Washington, DC, www.theprintcouncil.org