In a digital media outlook, which is increasingly fragmented and accelerated due to the technologies used and the easy access to communication from different devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, companies constantly battle against each other to get the attention of their audiences; since the number of advertising messages that an average person receives on a normal day, according to the Sancho BBDO agency, is between 3,000 and 5,000, it is therefore increasingly difficult to differentiate yourself between intrusive or quality content.
For this reason, many marketing professionals continue to invest considerably in traditional channels, as these break this advertising impact gap and provide companies with great benefits to stand out among their competitors; such as print media, which are more valid than ever in business models such as B2B.
At present, Business to Business media stands out for its quality in terms of publication and scope, since they have become robust media that provide its readers with personal experiences; according to the director of the American Data & Marketing Association, (DMA), Rachel Aldighieri, “Traditional print media provides consumers with something tangible they can interact with, take with them and go back to at their own leisure,”.
Ultimately, printed matter has become the perfect business partner of B2B companies, since niche purchase decision makers and influencers have a closer affinity to print media than to digital media, thus, according to Two Sides online communications and marketing portal, approximately 63% of people in the U.S. turn to these when a deeper understanding of information is involved. So, there are many reasons why this type of channels continues to predominate in B2B strategies, here are some of them:
Printed matter generates more confidence
According to the “Edelman Trust Barometer 2018”, which is a study that shows the global confidence index in media, companies and NGOs, traditional media represents 61% of public trust and for any business, trust is one of the most important values it can have and the print media, are the only ones who know how to create this connection between customer – company, in a digital era saturated with fleeting and lacking in truth information.
As a consequence, the use of this type of media in any B2B marketing strategy is vital to build trust among customers, in matters of information, product quality, services, processes and human capital.
They draw more of people’s attention
Banners, pop-ups, advertisements and pop-up windows are some of the distractions to which anyone on the Internet is exposed today, otherwise, it happens in print media, which is a space that allows the attention of the reader to be 100% focused, generating more information retention. For example, according to a 2014 study by Mike Rosenwald, journalist of the Washington Post, about the neuronal effects of online reading, our brains process data differently depending on how we receive it, hence they have a greater memory capacity when reading in physical than on a digital screen.
They provide more engagement
Due to the fact that print media manage to draw the reader’s attention much more than a digital medium, the use of this type of channels allows purchasing decision makers in different niches to be more interested in the information provided by a specific company and resort, as a “next step”, to other channels to expand their knowledge, such as digital media, phone calls and business visits. For example, if a health food purchasing manager finds an article in IAlimentos magazine, -one of the most representative and highest circulating media in this industry in Latin America-, in which a company offers innovative machines that reduce processing times of this type of products, he will want to contact a representative of this company and further inquire about the subject in order to implement this industrial automation in his company.
The above means, that print media are a great source of engagement and contact with readers, since being exposed to complete and truthful information, their interest will increase, which is very important in B2B business models, by having extensive sales processes where several actors intercede and purchase decisions are made after extensive research by customers.
Stands the test of time
An email or an internet ad will disappear almost instantly, thanks to the speed of online information, while a printed piece can be kept for days, weeks or even years. Therefore, print media provide a lasting brand or product reminders even after a customer stops making transactions in a company. This advantage is very relevant in B2B business models, since during the purchase process of any company, the information published in any printed medium reinforces the client’s knowledge about it.
After knowing the reasons why print media are still so strong in B2B business models, and still not sure of taking the next step as it requires personalized advice on the subject: Contact us! In Axioma we are experts in creating print media strategies specialized in B2B business models in different sectors such as industrial, food and construction.
We can be your ally in the co-creation of a successful marketing strategy for your business.
