The title sounds a bit like a paradox! But the idea came to me this cold winter morning as I sat with my parents pouring over old photo albums. The power of print to rebuild human connections.
Every January I order photobooks of my Facebook photos. They select, print, and send me the album and it becomes a precious memory for me. I will never have the time to sort and select, and while I may not like 20% of the pictures, the balance of 80% is enough for me. And as we looked at the albums and laughed at some happy memories, grieved over some people we lost, and were in awe of how my daughter from a toddler to an 18-year-old beautiful young woman, each moment was priceless.
Would I get such pleasure browsing through pictures on my Facebook? Never. But social media enabled these memories.
As I thought more, I realized the potential of print marketers reaching brands and consumers through the power of search, digital, social media, and at the right moments through powerful content that reminds them of the true meaning of print. Not just photos, but personalized gifts and messages, customized direct mailers, and the attraction of a beautiful label and stunning packaging. Stories that touch your heart and attract your senses while making total sense to the head but deliver them through targeted digital and social experiences. Using influencers can further enhance the credibility of this messaging.
You can also reiterate how much we need the power of print to rebuild human connections.
Do you feel the same emotions when someone sends a text or posts on your Twitter account vs. takes the effort to send you a personalized card or letter or even a small gift, beautifully wrapped? In a post-Covid world, our priority is to conserve our planet better and create deeper relationships with family and friends, our community, and the world in general. Print has such a big role in that.
I feel we as print marketers (I am an ex-print marketer now) have fought the digital growth but it can be used to our advantage. Print providers must work with brands to bring home how print can help them create better human connections with their consumers and build immersive experiences. How personalization will change the marketing game and customers are so much more willing to pay for these experiences.
While print is such an old industry, in some ways it’s a game of re-educating the market and building a new narrative and digital can help marketers in a cost-effective manner.
If you find one thought in this article useful, I will be thrilled. And now back to ordering my photo albums for 2021!
Shuchi Sarkar is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Creo, an ingredient platform, producing novel cannabinoids with multiple benefits to humans. Prior to joining Creo, Shuchi was the Global Head of Marketing for HP Graphics. She is a transformational marketing leader with a mission to create positive business impact and build strong brands in growth categories, leveraging 20+ years’ experience in delivering profitable business growth, successful brand launches, transforming teams, and creating memorable campaigns and content.
Shuchi is a member of the invite-only Forbes Communications Council. She is the recipient of various industry awards, including EFFIEs, Cannes Lions, “Innovative Marketer by Economic Times,” and “WIM Digital Marketer of the Year 2017. Connect with Shuchi on LinkedIn
