The Rise of Print — Four Reasons Brands are Embracing “Analog” Content

By Jenna Briand, CCO

Walk into Redbird’s offices and you’ll see well-thumbed magazines stacked on almost every surface.

Magazines are in our DNA, as many of us started off as journalists, contributors, and publishers of magazines. We collect and devour and share them with great enthusiasm. We’ve noticed lately that we’re not alone in this love of print, so we set out to understand why consumers are increasingly embracing magazines, too.

Here’s what we uncovered:

01. Consumers Trust Print.

Consumers now believe more of what they encounter in “traditional” media. This makes sense, given that digital media is the source of more and more unreliable information by unidentifiable authors.

Direct mail pulls a higher response rate than any digital direct marketing medium. Its response rate ranges from about five to nine times greater than that of email, paid search, or social media. (Source: ANA/DMA Response Rate Report 2018)

02. Print Cuts Through the Noise.

We’re getting less paper mail, and this is good for brands willing to continue to invest in it. Fewer magazines and catalogs mean increasing attention paid to what does land in our mailbox. And increasing attention is happily  leading to higher response rates.

There’s been a 23% increase in overall response (USPS Household Diary Study), despite the 4.5% decrease in catalogs mailed. (DMA 2018 Response Rate Report)

03. Print Feels Relevant.

Brands are investing in thoughtful targeting and compelling content. They know that a meaningful, tangible package of utility and storytelling is going to be welcomed, thumbed through, and shared by audiences who care.

54% of consumers surveyed said they want to receive mail from brands they’re interested in (AdWeek) And in 2018, the direct mail response rate for house lists was an incredible 9%. (DMA 2018 Response Rate Report)

04. Consumers are Touched by Print*

When compared with digital, tactile interaction leaves a “deeper footprint in the brain.” This psychological activity is more conducive to memory formation and clear brand associations. Bottom line, the consumers who physically connect with you are more emotionally responsive to you.

Physical mail generates “more brain responses connected with internal feelings, suggesting greater ‘internalization’ of the ads.” (Millward Brown and Bangor University)

Creating and publishing magazines is a Redbird superpower, and we’re thrilled that they’re working so hard on behalf of our clients. We’ve seen firsthand the successful role they’re now playing in some of our most innovative brand marketing programs.

Want more proof? Visit this case study to see how analog methods of consuming content are thriving in a digital world.

*pun intended

Cover Photo: Offscreen Magazine on Unsplash