Print or email...or both?

Print Action, Jun 2003 by Eyram, Stefan

I am an e-marketer. But, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for print. I grew up in the print world. And although my livelihood is dependent on the growth of e-marketing, I don't think email will replace print as a marketing tool - at least not in my lifetime.

Many companies in the printing industry are beginning to realize, through pricing pressures and a general decline in print growth, that they need to begin serious marketing campaigns to attract more sales. While print is a natural choice of delivery for such companies, it is naive to ignore the other delivery channels. At the very least printers should consider how they can work together to build a stronger presence in the marketplace.

Many people tend to view e-marketing, and specifically the email medium, as separate and competitive when related to print. The fact is that each medium is important and best optimized when used together in a planned campaign. Unfortunately there is no distinct guide that advises a marketer of the right circumstances to use print or email. Much of it depends on the target audience and your objectives.

Why email

Email has been called the killer app of the internet. More people use the internet for emailing than surfing websites. Email is also considered better, faster and cheaper than alternatives such as direct mail and telemarketing. However, spam (unsolicited commercial email or UCE) has made everyone, especially marketers, take notice. Spam has been called the killer app's killer.

Another truth of an email campaign is that it can't be done cheap if you are going to do it right, which is the difference between getting the desired results or having your email campaigns considered spam. You have to spend money on design, testing and the best e-marketing partners available.

In looking at any email campaign, a company should strive to find the following benefits:

Faster: Once creative is approved an email can be sent within hours. Best of all, most of your results are available within 24 hours, while 90 per cent of responses are typically generated within 72 hours.

Response: Not only do you get quicker response to an email but also you can respond to customers and prospects more quickly with an email. You can also send messages that request information or feedback (through surveys, registration forms, etc.).

Viral: Viral marketing is the propensity for a primary recipient to invite someone else to experience your marketing campaign. Email is the best tool for enticing people to forward the campaign to a friend. Contest entries and special offers often exhibit the highest viral index. Honda recently had very good viral success with a short commercial hosted on their site.

Personalization: Good email technology allows you to dynamically personalize all messages to use the data you have, including the behaviour of your customers and prospects. Personalization translates as relevance and that relevance means better results. In real-time you can generate customized offers or coupons targeted to the recipient. You can send out a customer satisfaction survey that only asks relevant questions and tabulates feedback as it is entered.

Rich media/multimedia: With more and more people using broadband - high-speed - internet services, both at work and at home, content-rich emails and websites are becoming more popular. This includes using sound, video and even games. Some companies have successfully used email to send out video clips or mini-commercials.

In the world of e-marketing the traditional four Ps of product, price, place and promotion give way to a new set of Ps: permission, privacy, profiling and personalization.

Why print

I certainly don't want to give the impression that I am pushing email over print. Even with all the benefits associated with email, this communication medium must give way to those compelling reasons for using print-based marketing campaigns.

Gloss factor: Good print execution is a work of art. The colour, shine and feel (not to mention smell) of print cannot be reproduced online, nor can online work match the variations afforded to print because of die cutting, folding and other finishing techniques.

Trust: As is the case with newspapers, people have a tendency to believe the print medium more than online options. People in most age groups are more familiar with - and in many cases more comfortable with - print.

Acquisition: Email has long been known as a retention tool. Print is often a better acquisition tool. This is especially true if you don't have a recipient's email address. Print can be very effective in driving someone to a website where they can then register with their email address, preferences and permission.

Retention: Print also has a retention advantage. Something that truly connects with the recipient will often be retained for reference - or kept to be admired. Also, print cannot be accidentally erased or lost when a computer crashes.

Time: People are spending more time online. They quickly scan websites and email messages for information. If you have a lot of information it will often look better in a well-planned printed piece. You have very little time to make an impression or convey your message in an email.