Motivate Consumers with Print!

July 24, 2013

Print is the winner to get consumers to plan and make purchasing decisions.

If you want to motivate people to take action on a marketing offer, get a direct mail piece, freestanding insert, print ad, or coupon into their hands. The data continue to be compelling that print moves consumers to purchase.

Here are some highlights from “How America Shops and Spends 2013,” an independent research study conducted by Frank N. Magid AssociatesAlthough the project was sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America, the results have powerful implications for direct mail, marketing collateral, and point-of-sale, as well.

When consumers were asked about advertising sources used to plan shopping or make purchasing decisions, the winner was print.

Newspaper Ads and Inserts

81% of adults in the study indicated that they had taken some form of action (become aware of a sale, clipped a coupon, visited a store) in response to a print newspaper ad or insert within the prior 30 days.

More than half ( 53%) made an actual purchase.

44% indicated that print circulars played a role in their decision to make an unplanned purchase.

Store Displays

Out of the multiple ad sources used to plan shopping or make purchasing decisions, 57% of participants cited store product displays as a contributor to the decision.

Coupons

Even self-identified nonnewspaper readers had clipped a coupon (16%), checked sales in local stores (16%), or compared prices for items they intended to purchase (12%).

Postal Mail

As an advertising medium, postal direct mail ranked higher with women than men (59% versus 46%) and hit just above 50% as an influencer, starting at age 25.

The study also found print to be a huge factor in driving customers online. Forty percent (40%) of participants indicated that they had visited a website to learn more, used search to find more information, or made an online purchase as a result of print advertising.

This is just some of the wealth of data pointing to the value of print as an influencer in purchase decisions. Print is tangible. It is credible. It offers the power to influence in ways unmatched by other channels. So if you’re looking to influence shopping behavior, your media mix must include print!

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