Top 4 Reasons Consumers Love Print

When it comes to communicating your marketing message, personalized and relevant messaging is more critical than ever. However, the channel used to deliver this message is important, too. After years of research on consumer attitudes and preferences, this reality still stands: print remains consumers’ preferred channel when it comes to four key areas: safety, security, sustainability, and trustworthiness.

A just-released infographic (April 2018) from Two Sides North America highlights this reality. The infographic is based on surveys conducted by Two Sides and Toluna, a global polling firm, between 2015 and 2018.

Here are some key facts:

• 91% of U.S. consumers surveyed agree that, when responsibly produced, used, and recycled, print and paper can be a sustainable way to communicate.

• 86% of those in the 18- to 24-year-old age group saw print as green, as well.

• 78% of Americans keep hard copies of essential documents filed at home as they believe this is the safest and most secure way of storing information.

• 56% of Americans trust the news stories they read in printed newspapers.

• Only 35% of Americans trust the news stories they read on social media.

“Although we regularly hear corporations are going digital or ‘paperless’ as safe, secure, and more green, this is not a shared opinion by a vast majority of the public, who seem to trust paper for many applications,” says Phil Riebel, president of Two Sides North America. With the increase in online security breaches and misuse of personal information (for example, the latest iFacebook scandal), Riebel notes that the clear advantages of print on paper are becoming apparent over digital. “I believe more and more people will become concerned about what may happen to their personal information held electronically,” he says. “Seventy-six percent of people are now concerned, but that may go up even more.”

The value of print has never been more clear, especially for companies in markets such as insurance, financial services, and medical and pharmaceutical technologies, where safety, security, and trustworthiness remain “make or break” issues for consumers. In these and similar markets, the print channel remains indispensable.

So keep print in your mix. Your customers will thank you!