Introducing: Print in the Mix

Excerpt from an article by Joanne N. Vinyard, Director, The Print Council:

"It seems that print has become the “forgotten” medium. It is taken for granted by many, even though it has been an effective communication medium for centuries and businesses spend more on printed forms of advertising than on television.

We are bombarded daily by press and online coverage of the new digital media that have become the “darling” of the advertising community. Because of this, customers tend to overlook the impact and power of print despite the fact that print sells.

Print has a viable and effective place in marketing strategy. And The Print Council and RIT have set out to prove this point and to change this “forgotten” scenario."

How are we working to change it? Through the publication of a website entitled Print in the Mix: A Clearinghouse of Research on Print Media Effectiveness. This month's eReview contains a brief overview of the site, the types of content available, and some samples of content we think you will find interesting. Enjoy!

What is Print in the Mix?
Print in the Mix is "a unique site demonstrating the role of print as a viable information medium in the marketing mix."

The aim of the site is to vet and distill available quantitative facts and research from original reports (both academic and reputable print and marketing industry sources) on the efficiency and effectiveness of print marketing in its numerous forms.  It focuses on how print can help maximize marketing campaigns for better ROI—either as a stand-alone product or as one solution integrated with other media. 

Content on the site is intended to help printers, advertisers, marketers, and others 'make the case' for print as a viable medium to help fulfill marketing objectives.

This free resource is published by the Printing Industry Center, and is funded entirely by a grant from The Print Council, an alliance dedicated to promoting the greater use of print media.

What is available?
Print in the Mix contains research on all types of print (e.g., direct mail, inserts, magazines, custom publications, newspapers, etc), which are presented in two ways:

• Fast Facts - Concise, bite-size nuggets of research. For example: "According to the United States Postal Service's Household Diary Study, more than one of five households surveyed reported making a purchase as a result of advertising mail received."
   
• Research Summaries - Top-line synopses that condense the most important points of the studies. Each summary includes the type of print media tested, research population, the results and outcome.

• Case Studies - Currently, a PODi case study is featured each month, and links to relevant sites that publish case studies of interest are also provided.
   
• Additional Resources - Links to associations, information on "green," opinion pieces, publications/news, and white papers are provided.

Sample Fast Fact:
Two Out of Three Prefer Print Media

According to new research, digital media is no substitute for traditional printed media.

A recent survey by Harris Interactive® of  2,200+ US consumers, conducted on behalf of Earthtone, a firm specializing in comparison pricing for printers, finds that people choose how they consume media based on personal preferences.

Harris Interactive's research shows that the majority of US adults think that printed media is easier to read than the digital equivalent. With this said, many adults surveyed also showed a preference for the immediacy that digital media offers.

Additional findings from the survey include the following:

• 68% of adults feel more comfortable when they have something on paper than on screen.
   
• 64%of adults say reading in print is easier than reading on screen.
   
• Less than half (42%) think the paperless office will become a reality at the companies they work for in the next five years.

About:  The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Earthtone between July 14 and July 16, 2009 among 2,265 U.S. adults ages 18+. Data weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population.

Source:  WhatTheyThink, Two out of three Americans prefer print media, October 27, 2009.

Sample Fast Fact:
55.5% Unwilling to Pay for Online Newspaper/Magazine Content

• 55.5% of respondents say they would be "very or extremely unlikely" to pay for online newspaper or magazine content.
   
• Less than one of five (16.5%) responded they are "extremely, very or even somewhat likely" to pay for access to online content.
   
• With this said, 81.5%  of respondents who are, for example, online readers of The Wall Street Journal’s and Consumer Reports’ sites (both pay sites), consider these subscriptions to be of  "good, very good, or excellent value," thanks to their unique and valued information.
   
• Respondents spend almost half the time (8.9 minutes) reading a publication’s website as they do reading print, and they visit magazines’ sites about half as often as they read the issues. The frequency is a bit higher for newspapers’ sites, the survey finds.

Sample Research Summary:
Direct Mail Receipt and Response – Day of Week Analysis - Mail Media Centre (UK), 2009

• UK mail volumes vary considerably by day.  The weekday average for the number of direct mail items received in UK averages 600 million pieces.

• Consumers receive less direct mail on a Saturday compared with other days of the week.
   
• Consumer response to direct mail varies by day.  The number of consumers who have done something in response to receiving direct mail is highest on Saturday (29%).  Monday mail elicits lower levels of response (26%).
   
• Response rates tend to vary less across the week when direct mail items "set aside for reference" are excluded.   A slightly lower proportion of items are met with a positive response on a Monday.
   
• Consumers are more likely to respond to financial direct mail received on a Saturday (22%).  Direct mail delivered on a Monday had the lowest response rate (15%).  Other weekday response rates:  Tuesday (16%), Wednesday (18%), Thursday (17%), and Friday (16%).
   
• Consumer response rates vary less to financial direct mail when items "set aside for reference" are excluded, although a slightly higher proportion of mail delivered on a Saturday results in a positive reaction (4%, as compared to a 3% response rate on Monday-Thursday, and a 2% response rate on a Friday).
   
• The physical size of the direct mailing piece affects response:

• UK direct mail response rates from 1998-2008 have continued to average around the 5% level.

Visit Print in the Mix Today!

Have you visited Print in the Mix yet? Find out how this site can help you 'make the case' for print!