Personalizing print marketing

Print engages the senses

In an era where consumers are prioritising ‘experiences’ over ‘things’, marketers are having to think far beyond traditional success metrics, such as product sales and market share. But it also serves as a valuable reminder that consumers are emotional beings who crave authentic, personal interactions.

In fact, it’s been shown that individuals are seven times¹ more likely to spend more on brands they feel very positive about, and advertising campaigns with purely emotional content perform twice as well as those that only appeal to the rational mind. Clearly, ‘emotion sells’ isn’t just an empty catchphrase.

But in a world obsessed with measurability and immediacy – app downloads, page views, viral videos and more – the value of emotional marketing is in danger of being obscured. That’s where the tactile power of print, combined with intelligent personalisation founded on deep customer insight, can serve as the ideal antidote to digital overload and trigger-responses to brands.

As a marketing tool, print can easily trump digital, thanks to its ability to trigger emotions through sensations such as touch, sight and smell. This can be further enhanced with individualised messages, delivered when customers are most receptive. These sensory qualities make print a powerful way to tell a brand story – especially when it is used in conjunction with other platforms to build a seamless omni-channel experience.

Spanning 17 countries and with a population of some 411 million people, the Middle East represents one of the fastest-growing regions in the world in terms of penetration and usage of digital media. However, its complex multicultural and multilingual environment can make it challenging for brands to reach their audiences. This is made even more difficult by the fact that, according to Statista², just over a third of the region’s population still lacks internet access.

As part of a considered marketing journey, print’s ability to stimulate an emotional response can be a powerful way to transcend both linguistic and cultural lines. And, particularly in areas where digital media is still an emerging phenomenon, it can play a critical, measurable role in driving purchase, and building lasting brand affinity.

Engaging the senses with real-time print

Good marketeers understand the power of print. But they’re also under pressure to limit time to market for campaign materials. Inevitably, this need for speed has tended to work in digital marketing’s favour, with print being de-prioritised because of the common assumption that it cannot be turned around quickly enough.

This has changed with the advent of programmatic print. Powered by digital on-demand printing and sophisticated campaign automation, it propels print marketing into real time, with targeted, individualised direct mailings compiled, printed and distributed within a 48-hour timeframe. It allows marketers to finally combine the advantages of algorithmically-driven digital campaigns that engage with consumers at exactly the right time, with the greater impact of personalised print.

Where consumers are individuals

As individual consumers, we each have our own favourite channels of communication, and are receptive to marketing messages at different times. Brand owners that adapt their promotional efforts to recognise this individuality are more likely to achieve the desired emotional connection, and ensure that the customer remains receptive to future communications.

Put more simply, we feel happier when we are appreciated as individuals. Brands can deliver on this by using their rich data to deliver marketing that makes customers feel individually understood and valued. And the happier a customer is, the more likely they are to be loyal, and potentially even become a positive brand advocate.

The Middle East presents a vibrant, diverse, rapidly modernising marketplace where young people are the fastest growing segment, with some 60% of the population under 25 years old. An omnichannel marketing strategy that uses intelligent, individualised print in tandem with digital marketing can enable brands to connect meaningfully with customers in ways that transcend both generation and culture.

¹ The (Large) Connection between Emotion and Loyalty, Experience Matters, 22 August 2016
² Internet Penetration in the Middle East compared to the global internet penetration rate.., Statista, 2019