What is the magic that fuels successful marketing? Research shows that when people feel truly connected with a brand, they will purchase, become loyal, and eventually become an advocate for it. Brand advocacy stems from quality products and service. But personalized engagement and experience is what truly sets up success.
User Experience
Unique, tangible user experiences that connect your customers with your brand are the goal. As the marketplace becomes increasingly competitive, companies that stand out are those who know and understand their customers’ needs, wants and desires – and deliver on a personalized level.
We often think about user experience in the context of software development or web design. But the aim of marketing is consistency in the customer’s overall experience. Does every touch point fulfill the brand promise? Do customers have the right perception and an emotional connection with the brand? Considering your marketing as part of the user experience greases the wheels for sales, revenue, loyalty, and brand advocacy.
Print marketing is an essential element of the user experience
Marketers who consider the user experience have changed the way they view consumer behavior. Creating tangible, emotional, unique interactions enables you to impact the depth of the relationship with your customers.
Print offers your audience the opportunity to connect with your brand in a way that digital marketing simply does not replicate. Think about opening a beautifully wrapped gift. Would it be the same if you received a picture of it in an email or the gift were simply handed to you?
Apple iPhone® packaging is an iconic example of sensory print marketing and packaging as part of the user experience. The white, elegant, minimalist box echoes the features of the product itself. There is even a calculated “whoosh” sound when you open the box. (Yes! They designed, tested, and patented that!) The experience this creates for the consumer comes from a deep understanding of human psychology and Apple’s overall marketing philosophy.
According to an international survey of more than 10,700 consumers commissioned by Two Sides, consumers trust print marketing more than any other means of advertising. Print is tactile, creating an experience for the consumer at a completely different level.
In digital media, the odds of readers returning to content are slim. Printed pieces, however, provide a way for customers to read and absorb the information presented. Print media also bypasses the explosion of digital noise – it literally occupies physical space, which encourages interaction with the piece. If there is copy, you can’t help but read it. You hold it in your hand, and emotionally process it, impacting memory and brand associations. In other words, you experience print.
Make the tangible experience personal
Personalization is increasingly important to today’s generation of consumers. Consider all the products we use to express our uniqueness – phone cases, tattoos, fashion, hair color, stickers on our laptops and water bottles – the list goes on. People are asking to be recognized for their individuality, yet many brands continue to market to the “masses.”
Consumers have come to expect personalization. Companies that don’t prioritize personalization, in all marketing channels, run the risk of alienating their audience. Sixty-six percent of consumers say encountering content that isn’t personalized would stop them from making a purchase. This doesn’t apply to only digital content; people expect personalization in all forms of media.
Personalization is key, not only in digital marketing, but in print marketing as well. Customers appreciate it, personalization improves targeting and relevance and improves the overall customer experience.
Getting personal with your customers also makes your brand “human” allowing your customer to connect.
Lawton’s team of experts is here to help ensure your digital and print campaigns create magical experiences for your clients. Let’s connect!
