A study released today by RR Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD) reveals that 91% of marketers with print marketing programs will embrace strategic integration of print and digital channels in 2024. Of these, 51% describe their print and digital marketing channels as “closely integrated and closely coordinated.” The report shows that marketers are taking this approach by leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), QR codes and web-to-print to bridge the gap between the print and digital experiences.
The Print Impact Report, the company’s latest annual report on the print industry, compares how 300+ marketing decision makers plan, execute and adjust their strategies and integrate technology into print marketing campaigns.
The Print Impact Report found that marketers are embracing technology to support their print campaigns, with 31% of marketers planning to use AI to support their print marketing efforts and 32% already using the technology. The survey also found that 39% of marketers have adopted web-to-print technology, citing the following key benefits: reduced costs through print-on-demand (50%), personalization and customization of the message (37%), improved efficiency and streamlined workflow (36%) and improved brand consistency (31%). Additionally, 50% of marketers report using QR codes in their print marketing and expect this to continue.
“Today’s marketers are prioritizing innovation to maintain the relevance and effectiveness of print as a tool within their omnichannel arsenals,” said Margo Yohner, senior vice president of growth, commercial print, RRD. “Companies aren’t just abandoning print; they are actively looking for ways to optimize its value.”
The state of the relationship between print and digital is not complicated
The data shows strong agreement among marketers that print can effectively complement digital efforts by reinforcing digital messaging and driving traffic to online channels. The report found that a combination of “digital primary, secondary print” was seen as the most effective approach by marketers (48%), further highlighting the value of print in supporting digital efforts.
Additionally, the report highlights that 94% of marketers are using print marketing to overcome digital fatigue; the top three strategies are personalizing print materials for targeted messaging (62%), integrating print with digital campaigns for cross-channel engagement (46%), and using print to tell brand stories and build trust (41%).
“Print complements digital rather than competing with it. With the continued growth of digital marketing, print serves as an effective enhancement to digital channels,” said Stephanie Cortes, director of strategic analysis, Direct Marketing Group, RRD. “By embracing new technology, marketers can evolve the print-digital nexus from siled approaches to integrated ones and deliver high-impact results.”
First-party data is the fuel that powers personalized print campaigns
The RRD report confirmed that marketers are looking to connect with audiences on a deeper level, with more than two-thirds (68%) of organizations reporting that they are currently personalizing their print communications.
In the midst of a crowded digital environment and changing data regulations, organizations have prioritized how they receive and use first-party data. For marketers working with a print vendor to personalize their communications, two-thirds of these marketers (66%) cite customer feedback as one of their primary sources of first-party data, with customer demographics ( 59%), email engagement (57%), purchase history (51%) and location data (48%) serving as additional other sources.
To read the full report, visit: rrd.com/print-impact.
Methodology
RRD commissioned a survey of 300+ internal marketing solutions and managers from organizations based in the United States that run print marketing campaigns. All respondents are involved in their organization’s print marketing decision-making.
