Print and digital advertising are two brilliant ways of advertising, with considerable audience differences.
Whilst digital ads can reach a wider audience, print has a loyal base of older members of the public who trust and know newspapers and promotional material. Exploring how each of these two ways are targeted towards different generations can show us which reigns supreme in the Print Vs. Digital debate!
Print Ads Are Beloved By The Older Generation
Print ads just aren’t cutting it with the youth.
A study conducted shows that more than 25% of Millennials use mobile phones as their primary sources of content, compared to 7% of the older generation. Additionally, it also recorded that 76% of Gen X are active on social media while generations older than millennials, such as the “boomers” are reported as 59% active. This shockingly low figure shines a harsh light on which age group is not consuming digital media compared to those who are. Companies need to tailor their ads by age group. This will ensure that they are reaching as many people as possible, in the areas that they are consuming media.
Do not despair just yet, there are ways to level the playing field.
In order to reach a more varied audience, circulating papers faster is a great way of giving consumers more material to view. The great thing about digital content is that it is constantly changing and adapting, so there is always something new to look out for, whereas print takes time to create, print and circulate which delays the momentum of the current trend of interest.
Print ads still have the ability to be effective tools to generate a buzz surrounding a new product launch or service, and even generate sales. By buying more advertising space in newspapers, magazines and promotional billboards or posters, you can attract more attention than if you were simply taping a poster to a lamppost or featuring a tiny square inside of a 1000 page index.
The thing with digital advertising is that it’s easy to scale up or down a campaign depending on the budget and it only takes moments to do.
While print ads would need to pay a flat rate per specific requirements, digital ads are ever changing with new targets and insights. This means that it doesn’t have to break the bank if suddenly one group of your audience is suddenly taken out of the equation.
Young People Must Have Digital Ads
In the scholarly article: Targeting Young Adults: The Effectiveness of Social Media Use for Local Businesses, it is stated that younger generations like the Millenials “are becoming more difficult for companies and marketers to reach. Due to the amount of advertising messages they are surrounded by daily, millennials are becoming avoiding traditional forms of marketing and advertisements” which is why the adaptability and change in digital ads is something that the younger generation search for in terms of consumerism.
With the emergence of Gen Z, who were raised in this digital age, it is prevalent that you are advertising in a way that is familiar to them. Someone who is fiercely immersed in social media and online news is not a likely candidate to advertise in a newspaper or magazine.
Another fantastic quality of digital advertising is that it has the ability to not only be accessible, but interactive to users. From videos to games, interactive ads can provide a unique experience for consumers to stand out from competitors.This also may be a reason for the younger audience members to prefer this type of content.
So, Which Is Better?
Each process has its benefits and challenges, from digital ads being a cost-effective option to print material being a traditional and trusted source. There really is no competition here, as both print and digital hold their places in advertising without wavering from competition.
A great way to build the perfect campaign is to merge the two together, using the best parts of each and reaping the rewards of two completely different consumer groups. For example, printing QR codes on posters or sending promotional leaflets with new insights can create an interesting strategy for younger and older customers.
If you’d like an established sales-team to help you to sell your print/digital advertising to your audience, contact Pitchfire today to discuss!