Johannes Gutenberg...That guy changed the world around 1436.
He enabled the dissemination of information beyond the ruling elite to the common folk, as it were, empowering others and putting information once reserved for the select few in the hands of every day people looking to learn.
Charles Babbage, maybe unknowingly, furthered the regular availability of information when he first imagined and designed a computer in 1822. Konrad Zuse, Alan Turing, Francois Gernelle, military scientists, IBM, Epson, Steve Jobs, and Apple all added their $.02, ultimately leading to the proliferation of computers in homes all around the world.
Nikola Tesla, J.C.R. Licklider, Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf, and Tim-Berners Lee (and Al Gore, of course) paved the way for us to surf the web, connect to one another via electronic mail, and, eventually, share our entire lives through social media and cookies and such.
With the conglomeration of technological advances, information dissemination changed, as digital communication took over the world, or so it seemed. While digital forms of communication have certainly become the norm and handwritten letters have taken a back seat, print products have not gone the way of the dinosaur, though that was certainly predicted and expected. It turns out there are a lot of things people really like, even prefer, about print communications over digital. And, in some case, there are physiological reasons.
Here are a few reasons print products are simply not dead and could (should) be a huge part of your product line and communications efforts.
Connects with Your Brain
Writing an item by hand actually logs it into the part of your brain that holds memory (that's one of those physiological reasons mentioned above). This means that writing things down can actually imprint them in your memory better than simply clicking buttons on your laptop or tapping the screen of your phone a few times, leaving you with have a higher chance of remembering an important date or piece of information. There is a strong mind/body connection when we write things down, so printed items like calendars, journals, and cards can increase efficiency and productivity in ways that an app can’t beat.
Creativity and Personal Ownership
There is something powerful about holding a pen in your hand and staring at a blank journal page to draw something beautiful or translate an important thought from the day. Not only does writing or drawing help your mind relax, it offers an element that digital products cannot. Notebooks, planners, and greeting cards forge personal ownership because your signature is placed on each page with your very own hand—a simple touch that just about anyone can appreciate.
Branding Opportunity
In the last several years, following the advent of digital media, marketing, and communication, business owners and companies the world over have been talking again about how to make their brands tangible. It's an ongoing problem to be solved, and, in many cases, a return to print products can provide the answer. There is a reason that mass mailings are making a return and coffee table books remain a huge product for so many brands. Having something in your customers' hands, in their homes, on their coffee tables, and in the middle of conversations they have with their friends and families helps to keep your brand front-of-mind and tangible. You're a part of their every day.
These are just a few examples of the benefits of having printed products as a part of your product lines and communications. Don't miss the opportunity to have your products in the homes of your clients and keep your brand front-and-center, tangibly in their lives.
If you're ready to create the perfect print product to please your customers and enhance your brand, contact us here.