It’s no secret that print advertising is declining.
Magazine print ad revenue fell 16 percent in
2017. But what most people don’t realize is
that this decline isn’t an indicator that print
ads are becoming less effective. The reality is
advertisers have more choices about how to
spend their ad dollars than ever before. Here are four reasons why.
Advertisers used to divide their budget between
print, TV, and radio. Now, there’s a wide range
of digital options as well—and their results are
often easier to measure. So while overall
ad spend increases every year, it’s
not surprising to see more
established advertising
channels (like print) eat
up a smaller portion
of that spend as
new channels
emerge. In the survey, people sorted advertising
channels into “ads I trust” and “ads I don’t
trust”.
“Print
circulations
are down, but
in many cases,
that means that
publications’
readership has
been culled to
only the most
engaged, which is a
desirable trait, from an
advertising standpoint,”
says the American Marketing
Association.
Still, the question remains: In the face
of all of these new options, is print advertising
worth it?
36 SL-YOU | Business, People & Lifestyle
1. People trust print ads more than digital ads
This may come as a shocker, but when
MarketingSherpa surveyed 1,200 Americans in
2016, they found that consumers trust print ads
more than any other type of advertisement.
In their analysis, MarketingSherpa cautions
advertisers: “Just know that advertising in
newspapers and magazines will tend to add
credibility to your product or service, while an
online pop-up ad will reduce the credibility for
your product or service.”
2. People recall print ads better than digital ads
The Internet is noisy. Any given page may have
dozens of links, ads, calls to action, and choices
competing for your attention. In a magazine
or newspaper, readers still have distractions,
but there are generally fewer of them, and you
physically move through ads as you interact
with the content.
“While digital content is scanned quickly, paper-
based reading is slower and more deliberate,
leading to greater rates of comprehension
and recall,” says Media Space Solutions. For
advertisers, this means that traditional print
media ads are more likely to make a lasting
impression and, thus, lead to more sales.”
That may be why neuroscientists have found
that people are 70 percent more likely to recall
your brand after seeing it in a print ad than a
www.slyoumag.com | July-August 2019