Are you ready for 2023?

Our latest thoughts on where we think the print industry is heading in 2023 and what that means for your business.

Looking back on 2022, the digital age appears to be hitting its peak.  Consumers are overwhelmed with emails every day, social media has become a minefield of adverts, and the messages that brands are desperately trying to get across are getting lost in the plethora of digital content. 

So how can you navigate 2023 effectively and shine through the fog of digital content and become a beacon of light?  One way to do that would be to invest in print. A Harvard Business Review reported ‘Emotional Connection Matters More than Customer Satisfaction’ ^[1] and print is a highly effective channel for achieving this. One can delete an email without reading it and spam filters will filter it away from the eyes of the receiver before they even get a chance to scan the subject line.  Print is tangible, one must handle a printed piece, even if just to put it in the bin, but often, it is kept as a reminder to complete an action, for future reference or because of reasons that can’t be compared to a digital alternative - its tactile features that stimulate the senses – smell, touch, vision.  

A few years ago, companies began removing or reducing the budget for printed material choosing the ‘free’ approach of social media.  At the time, it didn’t cost anything, and often it fell into the lap of someone already in the company, there was no expert in social media.  Now consider the investment that’s being made; Social media managers, content creators, apps to help plan and schedule content, and staff to manage community engagement.  It’s no longer the ‘free’ marketing channel.  That’s without considering that currently, to get noticed on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you need to be investing in adverts rather than relying on organic audience engagement. It might be fair to say that digital marketing has become as much of an investment in a business marketing plan as the physical channel once was. We are also seeing the emergence of the new age of ‘phyigital’, where the digital and physical worlds combine and without an effective marketing mix, companies who do not embrace this new ‘channel’ could be left behind. 

What does this mean for you?

If you’re keeping up with marketing trends then you’re probably looking to update your printed marketing collateral to make it more aligned with your business and make it more fit for purpose.  You should be looking to introduce more printed avenues into your marketing mix, especially considering recent results from a report, developed in association with Royal Mail Marketreach, which showed that 70% of people were driven towards an online activity by direct mail. ^[2]

You will be looking for a print company that is keeping up with the current trends and can help you push the boundaries and reach new audiences.  CSP, being part of The Meliora Group that covers everything from everyday printed items to packaging and labels, are well placed to help you. With a diverse range of the latest print technology at our fingertips and experts in the industry within our four walls, we are innovators and we’re not afraid to push the boundaries to help you achieve your goal.

If that sounds like the kind of print company you would like to work with in 2023, get in touch to discuss your requirements with one of our friendly and helpful team. 

References:

[1] https://hbr.org/2016/08/an-emotional-connection-matters-more-than-customer-satisfaction

[2] https://www.marketreach.co.uk/resource/direct-mail-effectiveness