eCommerce companies are now turning to print media to boost visibility.
Statistics suggest a dim future for print media with declining advertising revenues globally. Newspapers have in turn responded by moving to an online version to reduce costs and retain ad revenue. In contrast, eCommerce companies who previously had a purely digital presence are taking to print media in an attempt to create a more tangible presence. They are doing this not just by taking out print ads, but also by coming out with physical catalogues for people to browse through.
Targeting end consumers through print media is a cost intensive process, given the large consumer base. eCommerce companies are, howeverinnovatively overcomingit. Few online B2C fashion stores for example create magazines that contain their catalog and sell it to customers for a price. For B2B firms, the costs are lesser as they usually have a reasonably good idea of their customers, enabling more targeted campaigns. Also, the revenue gained from an additional customer in theB2B context is potentially far more than for a B2C Company, which means that B2B firms are better placed to cover their printing costs in the long run. It’s not just catalogs; eCommerce sites are also taking to advertisements in newspapers and magazines to cement their presence in people’s minds.
But print is still more expensive than digital, therefore raising questions on its feasibility. The objective of a marketing campaign is to give exposure from as many directions as possible and ensure customer recall of the brand. Formany eCommerce companies with a good online presence, print media maybe the missing link in their marketing campaign. Print media enables you to literally put your company in people’s hands,making it far more personal.
Ads taken out in niche magazines and newspapers can provide access to the right type of audience. Ads on the net compete for attention but print ads are usually well spaced out with high visibility. This sentiment is often shared by the more traditional minds in your customer’s organization.
Print media has managed to keep its naysayers at bay. Despite its reduced popularity, print media advertising revenues are still much larger than online revenues. Print isn’t going to go away any time soon and B2B businesses should not neglect including it in their marketing campaigns