Print and digital advertising have been vital tools throughout history by consistently bringing consumers and brands together.
Whilst print has been around for a considerably longer time, evolving technology has brought in the rise of digital tools to meet a more demanding market.
Where newspapers and magazines were a primary form of advertising, digital pop-ups, email campaigns and social media paid ads have taken it to the next level and on a wider scale!
This ultimately creates a divide on which method is better. print or digital? Keep reading for part one of our series to explore the answer together.
Digital Advertising and Campaign Insights
Digital advertising comes in many forms, such as specialised email campaigns for lead generation and subscriber content to social media platforms that almost exclusively use pop-up ads and banners for brands and products to entice potential consumers.
But what are the benefits?
Tracking ROI is a huge benefit for companies that are raising awareness of their brand and new products. Being able to track ROI is an incredibly important part of many campaigns, making sure that businesses are able to see exactly where they are making money and in which areas they are behind. In a recent report, it found that in 2021 “digital advertising spending in the United Kingdom amounted to 23.47 billion British pounds. This figure marked a boost of more than 42% compared to the previous year while also representing the highest online ad expenditure to date.”
These figures show that digital advertising is rapidly increasing in popularity.
With digital advertising tools, this is much easier to sell with digital analytics features available today by being able to garner competitive knowledge and consumer spending habits. The ability to also collect deep insights into consumer spending habits is an incredible competitive advantage, as you are able to know exactly who you are selling to and whether they will buy your product, and where from.
While you can track in-depth consumer insights using digital tools, the same cannot be said for the traditional print counterpart. It is very difficult to track a leaflet or poster once it has left the printer.
Print Ads are a Trusted Information Source
While behind on tracking abilities, print still generates countless leads which may be mistaken for online clicks due to consumers having to use mobile technology to search for the brand or product in order to buy from a website.
The print advertising industry has faced reductions in the last few years but that doesn’t mean it isn’t evolving as technology advances, by striving to be part of a wider audience. That being said, it is widely regarded as a safe and trusted source.
A 2021 survey proves that print has still got it, with 53% of respondents thinking that TV and radio ads were somewhat or very trustworthy and 42% mirrored this response toward print advertising. These results show that the public perception of traditional advertising is still strong and regarded highly. This may be due to the longevity of print and that it is an easily recognised part of life which has lasted throughout generations.
Print advertising is a timeless way to capture the attention of the public in the street or selected groups of a company’s targeted demographics in localised areas. It remains to stand as an important part of any great campaign.
Even venturing into the nearest town you will see buildings and posts covered in posters, leaflets, and billboards, all promoting services or products, and all succeeding at capturing your attention.
Conclusion
Print and digital avenues both have their main compelling benefit that brings different groups of people to brands that are selling a product, but ultimately they both are just as important in raising brand awareness. From trusted billboard campaigns to social media ads tailored to you by the intricate algorithm, both help in ensuring that a brand is consistently on your mind, whether you know it or not. Companies need to utilise the tools that both options can present in order to get the most out of their sales abilities.
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.
Continue our series by reading the second instalment of The Print Vs. Digital Debate Part 2- Advertising To The Ages.