Millennials are a hot topic in marketing. Their increased purchasing power and integration into the workforce have left marketers struggling to determine how to market to them.
While millennials grow up surrounded by technology, this also means that they are suspicious of the digital world, particularly when it is trying to sell something. For marketers, this means that your digital messages aren’t being consumed at all, and/or they’re not being retained.
Not Just A Copy Shop can work with you to craft a printed campaign that can catch Millennials where they work, play, and live!
Why Are Millennials Important?
The annual purchasing power for this group is estimated to be nearly $200 billion. That number is expected to grow, as Forbes reports that millennials will be nearly 50% of the workforce by 2020.
That’s a lot of purchasing power and it leaves many marketers struggling to catch the attention of customers trained to check their smartphones every 15 minutes. But research demonstrates that when marketers move towards the latest technology, they move away from a channel with proven effectiveness with millennials: print.
Millennials love print—who would have guessed?
Why Print Can Be Superior To “E-Advertising”
While millennials live in the electronic “now”, that doesn’t apply to advertisements.
Pop-up ads are obnoxious and easily blocked. It’s almost silly to underestimate print marketing especially when you realise that ad-blocking grew 41% in just 2015! Across all demographics, people distrust banner ads, with more than 54% of people saying they view them as untrustworthy, according to Banner Snack.
As for email, its volume is its downfall as a marketing tool. Millennials receive about 19 direct-mail pieces a week versus an overwhelming 567 promotional emails in the same time frame.
Print Resonates with and Engages Millennials
“Millennials: An Emerging Consumer Powerhouse,” by Customer Focus and Quad/Graphics, states that 77% of millennials pay attention to direct mail, 73% to retail inserts, 54% to catalogs, and 51% to magazines.
An InfoTrends study notes that millennials are the most likely of any generation to read direct mail. 25% of millennials even think of reading direct mail a leisure activity. Millennials spend more time sorting mail and are more engaged with it than other generations.
66% of millennials open direct mail, and 63% of millennials who have responded to a direct-mail piece within the past three months made a purchase.
Printed pieces are also influential in online-buying decisions. Hard-copy ads spur 53% of millennials to respond online while technology such as QR codes and scannable coupons make it easy to move from a printed piece to a purchase online.
What Are The Implications For Your Brand?
Print has a strong influence on millennials. They want it, use it, and respond to it.
For marketers, all this means that a proper reallocation of resources might be necessary to acknowledge and respond to offline consumer preferences.
Print marketing done right can be an inexpensive way to connect with younger consumers. A well-planned print campaign can run cheaper than online advertising and be tracked just as easily and completely.
Printed media also exists physically, so your recipient can hold on to it. A printed ad is a long-lasting reminder of your brand. The InfoTrends study found that millennials also notice print, paper, and image quality more than any other demographic, making good design essential!
Studies show that printed materials make a deeper impression on millennials, and are also believed to be more honest. The research indicates that the “real” experience of mail helps recipients remember the content of a message better, generates more emotion, and builds more positive feelings about the brand.
The popularity of print with younger generations means print will play an important role in the decades to come. Print is not dead. In fact, it is a critical tool that can help you make a connection with millennials.
Making Your Print Pieces
At Not Just A Copy Shop we can help you with all aspects of your print marketing to millennials. We offer three levels of design; “you design your own”, use our online tool, or work with our skilled designers.
We are well-versed in designing and printing pieces that appeal to millennials, including:
- Amplifying the unique qualities of printed collateral.We can print unique gifts or collectibles.
- Work around digital’s “emotional void.” For instance, Australian eHarmony recently offered its users the opportunity to “turn your romantic thoughts into a beautifully handwritten love letter” for Valentine’s Day.
- Stay attuned to the opportunities new technology provides.QR codes, simple links to web pages, and social media contact information can all be a part of a complete print-marketing campaign. While printing is among the most efficient ways to reach millennials, the online experience should also be tied to it.
The Not Just A Copy Shop Millennial Advantage
At Not Just A Copy Shop we can help you with ALL your print pieces, and we can help you reach ANY demographic you wish to, including millennials.
Call us on (07) 5523 2008 or send us an email at service@notjustacopyshop.com