There are all kinds of shiny new ways to advertise these days: clips at the beginning of YouTube videos, headers on websites, sponsored posts in a Facebook feed. Even older technologies like radio advertising or ads on TV are still generally seen as a superior means of advertising to fliers and direct mail; after all, how many more people can you reach with a 30 second TV ad? How many people will spot your ad on YouTube and be compelled to click?
But the data doesn’t suggest that technology is deeply affecting people’s consumption of advertising. Only 5% of the people surveyed commented that they always let ads run the way through on YouTube, compared to a whopping 57% who stated that they always skip them. Are your messages really getting through when over half your audience are actively ignoring them? A similar truth is revealed about TV commercials: 30% of people leave the room or change the channel to avoid them.
Even for industries that are more internet-focused, the power of print is still very real. Mobile phone and phone providers still see 20.3% of Kiwi consumers preferring to use a print catalogue, even though their industry is so intrinsically tied to internet usage. The percentage of internet-based purchasing decisions may be higher than that for catalogues in this industry, but catalogues still carry that a lot of weight – making them especially important for reaching those audiences who don’t want to make their decisions based on web advertising.
The Power of Print
Roy Morgan Research reveals a dramatic 74% of people surveyed stated that they find unaddressed mail useful for pre-planned purchases – and in another survey, 55% agreed it was helpful for their weekly shopping. With grocery-focused direct mailers making a sizeable portion of letterbox marketing, the power of print is still truly potent.
And beyond the weekly supermarket shop, when examining formats in direct comparison with one another, catalogues were found to account for the second highest majority of purchases in car parts, renovations, furniture, electronics, appliances, discs, and books. They also influenced the overwhelming majority of purchases in toys, cosmetics, and clothing.
Why Catalogues?
We’ve become so used to the idea of the importance of technology that it’s easy to forget the kind of mentality around why people enjoy making use of catalogues. It’s really not surprising when you think about it. How often have you clicked to skip an online ad out of annoyance? How often, if ever, has a pop-up made you actually interested in buying the product? Catalogues appeal because we can control them. We can choose when to read them.
We might be living in a digital age now, but there is still a long way to go before it’s truly captured the world. And it will be a long time, if ever, before digital formats truly replace the strength of print.
To get a great deal on catalogue print and distribution, contact Pumpt on (09) 476 0830
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