All marketing mediums are not created equal. Sure, we may all have our personal preferences with how we consume content and make purchasing decisions, but researchers have actually been able to pinpoint the most effective medium thanks to over fifteen years of data collecting.

Temple University’s Fox Center for Neural Decision Making gauged how consumers respond to print versus digital advertisements, and these were the results:

  • Consumers reviewed print ads longer.

  • Print ads result in higher levels of recall.

  • According to brain activity, print ads are more effective in increasing value and desire, sparking purchase interest.

  • Print resonates because our brains register physical material as “real”. When we can hold a piece of paper or a magazine, that tangible item has a place and a meaning in our world. The physical activity of reading increases activity in the cerebellum, the hub for spatial and emotional processing.

  • Print is personal in that it taps into our brain’s “default network,” which is associated with greater focus on emotional response. The “default network” is a direct line into the consumer’s own thoughts and feelings, allowing them to directly relate to what they are seeing or reading.

While the digital world prides itself on being vast, ever-adapting and dynamic, there is something truly special about print. As science shows, our brain is wired to respond favorably to tangible products. Even with all the digital options, print should always have a place in your marketing campaign to offer a well-rounded, truly memorable and relatable approach.

For more insights into why business owners should still believe in print, contact us.

Jeanne partners with Best Version Media (BVM), one of the fastest-growing private publishing companies in North America, to produce East Fishkill Living, her hometown monthly magazine, and works with colleagues on a number of similar glossy publications around the Hudson Valley, Westchester County, Rockland County and Connecticut. If you have target audiences in those areas, contact Jeanne to learn more. Thanks to BVM for portions of this content.