Physical marketing Archives - Page 2 of 2

Challenge brings change…

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The outbreak of Coronavirus certainly has got a lot of people thinking, if not concerned. However, resilience is created through necessity and is born through a desire to succeed.

Understandably a lot of small businesses are seriously concerned about the impact of the lack of customers, whether this is b2b or b2c based. With a substantial amount of transactions requiring either a proper face to face engagement or a customer journey which needs real personal engagement, alternative thinking is needed. If you ask any designer or creative where and how they get their ideas, usual influences of X Y or Z pop into the conversation. In other words, nothing is new but just evolved from existing sources.

A face to face engagement creates a meaningful value exchange through several routes, “being there” where both parties read the verbal communication, including tone and timbre of the voice, but also the non-verbal communication of body language. (For specialists which study this, it’s a wealth of signals.) The tone of communication also reflects the attitude which the individuals show towards each other, which allows for a hook for future connections. All this is seriously curtailed with limited face to face contact.

Any seasoned marketing professional will be the first to remind single-channel minded individuals the marketing tools used on the journey can drive the touchpoints to achieve results which meet the end goal.

Using proven methods which evoke kinaesthetic engagement provides a powerful alternative to the lack of face to face engagement. The power of touch is next most engaging method after face to face communication. Using the senses of touch, coupled with the physical interaction of using hands to interact with an item creates a moment of connection to drive further actions.

The world of print has overcome many communication challenges. Conclusively print materials when used with effective messages, the right design structure of the printed piece, constantly achieve higher levels of engagement compared to just digital communication.

The Coronavirus update from the Royal Mail (13/03/20) “From experience with other coronaviruses, we know that these types of viruses don’t survive long on objects, such as letters or parcels” https://www.royalmail.com/coronavirus

So delivery of professional mail shot communications still has the opportunity of engaging your audience, whether at home or business place. So where you face to face opportunities might be diminished, carefully executed and delivered can provide a lot more leverage to assist your business message.

Remember when crafting your mailshot;

The creativity of the communication gets you remembered
Being engaging, physically with the item, along with a tone of voice
Be timely, create wider opportunities to engage
Create opportunities to engage face to face when safe to do so
Use professional print providers as they can ensure compliance for Royal Mail standards, and help you achieve the “best bang for your buck” through clever print and business-grade postage options.

Get Kinaesthetic with your print and outshine the competition!

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The battle for our attention is real.

Recent research concludes the average smartphone user checks their device 47 times a day! However how much can truly be remembered? In a digitally addicted generation, print brings a burst of fresh air.

Did you know that 92% of smartphone users say they still prefer print when making purchasing decisions? Carefully presented print media, with the right calls to action, can lead to greater conversion in a sales process. Using vouchers, sign-ups for exclusive must-have materials or access to the latest news and offers can be a great way to measure and lead to further customer engagement and sales.

American marketing guru Dan Kennedy challenges companies to ditch the “chase” mentality in marketing while focusing on helpful, value-giving ways that attract your audience instead.

Coupon advertising is far from dead. A 2018 American study showed that 91% of people ages 35-54 use coupons and 87% of millennials used coupons in the last year. And businesses benefit in a big way: stores are eight times more likely to make a sale when coupons are in play! Equally loyalty cards are another win, especially when the sign-up process allows you to legitimately acquire the customers’ contact details, allowing for further selected techniques of marketing to be used. I still think the best example of this is Screwfix, whose regular mailshots keep me thinking of their store.

This might seem like old school marketing, but in an environment where less of these techniques is happening, you have more chance of standing out, by being different. Marketing is often referred to as a toolbox of techniques. Evolution happens, but thinking about the customer journey and the touchpoints along the way.

Print is a time-served tool in the marketing toolbox, we have seen various ideas and concepts along the way. Connecting them with other marketing actions is key to build your customer journey. We are always open to having a conversation with you to help you innovate your business’s or organisation’s marketing.