Why Print Media is Still Relevant

What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you think "print media?" Prehistoric? Expensive? Useless? (Ouch, you don't need to be so harsh with print media. I heard that he's a pretty sensitive guy).

While some agencies have completely migrated over to the web, we continue to put energy into print media. Contrary to popular marketing and advertising beliefs, print media is still an extremely useful tool in the marketing world for various reasons.

One of the most important reasons why we choose to focus on print media is because of the niche audiences that we are able to effectively target. Placing ads in specialty magazines helps us reach audiences that would otherwise be harder to reach online.

Take for example: tourists. People visiting Hawai'i for the first time do not necessarily know which activity companies to book, malls to shop, or places to eat at. Print advertising gives us the ability to say, "Hey, I know you weren't specifically looking for us, but look at how enticing and awesome we are!" as they flip through a publication while waiting for their interisland flight.

Another reason that we continue to use print? Less competition. As more businesses are relying on digital media, print advertising has become less crowded which can be used as a marketing advantage. The less that other marketers and advertisers are using print advertising, the more space there is for your ads to stand out.

Print ads also give a sense credibility. Digital media can be overwhelming with all of the animated and flashy ads on a webpage. Users might be afraid to click on the ads because they're too worried about getting viruses on their computer. With print advertising, there is no fear because there is no imminent danger.

It is important to find a balance between all advertising channels and to utilize those channels to its maximum capacity. Although print advertising is not the focus anymore, that doesn't mean that it should be dropped entirely. Understand the benefits of print, and implement it in any way that will help your agency reach every target audience member.