Few marketers would disagree with the concept that integrated marketing is the most effective means of penetrating markets and optimizing sales, but some may disagree with the idea that print advertising is the foundation of the integrated program. Research continues to prove that using print partners in conjunction with other media will generate more buyer interest, and optimize the individual impact of each medium in the program.

Buyers and Marketers Agree
Both buyers and marketers agree that integrated programs make buying and selling more effective. Nine out of ten buyers agree with the statement, “It’s easier for me to recognize or remember a company’s brand or products/services when I see messages in multiple media such as publications, online, and events.” Marketers concur. Eight-five percent of marketers claim that their firms get more qualified buyers when industry-specific media like publications are integrated with online media, such as Web ads and sponsored links.

When print is added to the program…
…the results are all positive. While two media outlets outperform one, three typically outperform two. And, when print is one of the media, effectiveness increases significantly. In a series of CrossMedia Studies conducted by Dynamic Logic, when publication advertising was added to the integrated program, awareness, brand favorability, and purchase intent were maximized.

According to Jupiter Research, publication ads were the number one offline source to drive qualified traffic to Web sites. Qualified traffic is comprised of buyers that make a purchase after conducting an online search. Print partnered with online media maximizes online success.

---Source: American Banking Associates “Talking Points” Spring 2010 newsletter (www.aba.com/bankmarketing).