Local print marketing is having a moment. As consumers rethink where to spend on summer vacations and experiences, there is an opportunity to capture that shift and turn it into local engagement and revenue.
In a previous post, we explored how printers can local up their print sales to combat rising fuel costs. Read it here. This is the next step, recognizing what those rising costs are doing to consumer behavior, and how to lead through it.
Summer Travel Planning is Underway
Rising gas prices and increasing airfares are already impacting how people plan to travel this summer, with airlines warning that higher fuel costs are pushing ticket prices up.
At the same time, concerns about jet fuel supply in Europe are adding pressure to the system, potentially affecting flight availability and pricing heading into peak travel season.
As travel becomes more expensive, people aren’t skipping time off; they’re redefining it.
Originally used to describe a move toward smaller, slower, small-town destinations, the concept of townsizing now includes experiences closer to home that provide meaningful ways to get away without the cost of going far. Local experiences take priority, and that is where local print marketing becomes a powerful driver of connection, visibility, and participation.
Local Print Marketing and the Shift of Staycation Spending
During the pandemic, people learned how to create experiences at home, backyard movie nights, outdoor dining, DIY vacations, and local outings.
That was about limitation. During the pandemic, people had no choice. Now, rising costs are making longer, more expensive travel less realistic, so people are applying that staycation mindset to townsizing, choosing smaller destinations and shorter trips closer to home.
People don’t have to stay home. They can go out, explore, and participate, but they’re doing it closer to home, with shorter trips, smaller budgets, and more intention behind how they spend. They’ll be spending more time locally, and that creates an opening for local print marketing to bring those opportunities to life.
Bringing Local Businesses Together
This is where printers can become a hub of creativity for the community, bringing businesses together to create something bigger than any one of them could do alone.
Through local print marketing and B2B collaboration, communities can create offers that connect restaurants, attractions, entertainment venues, retailers, tour operators, and service providers into something bigger than any one business can create alone.
Start by inviting local businesses to a strategy meeting at a restaurant, not your print shop, to position the conversation around their business, not yours. If possible, invite a chamber or local business representative who backs the idea to add credibility. Then lead the conversation. Summer plans are being made now. Budgets are being decided now. There is a window to get ahead of it. Local print marketing is the path.
Creating Local Experiences People Can Say Yes To
So what can this group create together? A Friday night family pass with pizza, a movie, and ice cream. A local adventure weekend with a kayak rental, lunch, and a brewery stop. A kids activity package that fills an entire Saturday.
These are the kinds of experiences people can buy, gift, and participate in without getting on a plane. Local print marketing makes them visible, tangible, and easy to engage with.
Why Printers Can Lead This Effort
Printers are in a unique position to connect the dots and bring these opportunities to life through local print marketing. They have a diverse portfolio of customers and experience across many types of businesses.
If you help a business sell more – more pools, more tickets, more reservations, more experiences – you’re not just producing materials. You’re helping drive results. And that’s why those businesses will keep working with you.
Extending the Experience Beyond the Campaign
There’s also an opportunity here to create something that extends beyond the campaign. Think simple. Think useful. Think of something that stays in people’s homes all summer.
Start with something simple. A refrigerator magnet.
It could be a printed lineup of local events, street fairs, art shows, and family activities, designed like a season schedule. Or it could be a QR code that links to a constantly updated list of what’s happening each weekend, something people check on a Thursday night to decide what they’re doing on Saturday.
Now the printer isn’t just part of the campaign. They’re the hub of it. And if that QR code leads to a site the printer manages, there’s even more opportunity. Feature participating businesses. Highlight upcoming events. Create a place where people can upload photos from their local adventures and turn them into photo books, shirts, mugs, or whatever aligns with your capabilities.
It’s not the main play. But it keeps your business connected to the experience long after it begins. Develop a local marketing campaign to support your offerings, and keep the community engaged while you have their attention.
Opportunity hasn’t disappeared. It moved closer to home.
People are still looking for ways to get out, explore, and spend time with family and friends. They’re just doing it differently. Closer. Smaller. More intentional. That shift creates a strategic opening for local businesses to capture that spending, and for printers to lead the way in bringing those opportunities to life.
While consumers townsize to reduce costs and fuel consumption, printers and local business partners can capitalize on this moment through local print marketing and upsize their sales and community relationships.
Everyone wins!
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See Deborah’s recent post: AI and Print Through the Five Stages of Grief
Deborah Corn is the Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse at Print Media Centr and Executive Director of Girls Who Print, the largest global professional network for women in print and graphic communications. She is a Print Buyerologist, international speaker, content creator, industry advocate, and host of Podcasts From The Printerverse.
She founded Project Peacock, International Print Day, and PrintFM Radio, the industry’s first 24/7 global radio station, creating platforms that connect brands, printers, suppliers, and students worldwide. Deborah also leads the Print Production Professionals Group, the largest print community on LinkedIn. Through her media, events, and education initiatives, Deborah helps companies of all sizes reach qualified audiences, build visibility, and create meaningful engagement with print and marketing professionals.
She is a recipient of multiple industry honors and serves on advisory boards and technical committees supporting print education and career development.
Connect with Deborah on LinkedIn
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