You may have heard the cry to reduce paper use. If you are considering a post card campaign or other types of direct mail, rack cards, brochures, or other types print marketing you might wonder whether to switch to “electronic”. The topic is well researched and the facts are crystal clear.

Effectiveness and Engagement of Print Marketing vs Digital Marketing

1. 56% of customers find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing.
2. The response rate of printed direct mail marketing is 37% higher than email direct marketing.
3. More than 92% of 18 – 23 year old’s found printed content easier to read rather than digital.
4. 80% of households read or browse their print advertising mail.
5. 62% of consumers who responded to direct mail in the past three months made a purchase.
6. At least 47% of customers report using ad-blocking technology when browsing online.
7. The average return on printed direct mail campaigns is 1,255%.
8. 70% of American’s say mail is more personal than the internet.
9. Brand recall for direct mail ads was 70% higher among study participants who were exposed to direct mail ads and digital ads.
10. 80-90% of direct mail is gets opened, while only 20-30% of email gets opened.
11. 44% of customers visit a brand website after receiving a direct-mail marketing – 10% MORE than those who receive an email.

Green Responsibility – Print Marketing vs Digital Marketing

12. Print is Green! Print is environmentally-friendly and one of today’s most sustainable industries. Only 17% of cut forest trees are used by the paper industry.
13. Most paper is recycled at least seven times before adding in virgin wood fibers.
14. 91% of consumers agreed that print and paper are sustainable ways to communicate, when responsibly produced, used, and recycled.
15. Spam email wastes at least 33 billion kilowatt hours annually – equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of 3.1 million cars using 2 billion gallons of gas.
16. The average person wastes 2.4 times more electricity on powering a single computer than the energy used to produce the paper they use in a year.
17. Lately some cite the “environmental stress” of sending paper documents. However, paper comes from a sustainably grown renewable resource. The demand for paper creates the economic incentive that drives continual regeneration of forests and the delivery of carbon sequestration benefits.
18. A 2016 study found that 85% of respondents believe that companies who make negative green claims about paper are simply seeking to reduce their expenses.
19. Roughly two-thirds of the energy used by North American pulp and paper mills is self-generated. The paper industry uses more renewable energy than any other industrial sector.
20. The global print and paper industry accounts for only 1% of the global carbon dioxide emissions.

The facts are clear when it comes to using printed marketing pieces versus electronic marketing – printed marketing pieces are more effective and “green” than email and online marketing.

Contact us today to talk with a print marketing specialist to create a plan to help your organization to reach your goals.

Sources: printisbig.com, American forest & paper association, small business trends, choose print, two sides