A few years ago, everyone was predicting the demise of the print industry. The future was looking more and more digital. But recent neuroscience studies have shown that print communication often eclipses electronic.
What happens inside the human brain isn’t as mysterious as it once was. Now there are ways of seeing whether messages are getting through, which makes it possible to measure the effectiveness of print versus digital.
Here are some fascinating findings:
Hard copy DM requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than digital media, suggesting that it’s easier to understand and more memorable. In a study by Canada Post, when participants were asked to name the brand of an advertisement they had just seen, recall was 70% higher among those who were exposed to a hard copy direct mail piece (75%) versus a digital ad (44%).[1]
Paper communications affect the desire centres of the brain. Paper advertising activates the ventral striatum area of the brain more than digital media. The ventral striatum is known to be an indicator of desire and valuation.[2]
Physical material is more ‘real’ to the brain. Hard copy is better connected to memory because it engages with the brain’s spatial memory networks. Physical material involves more emotional processing, which is important for brand associations. And physical materials produce more brain responses connected with internal feelings, suggesting greater effectiveness of the ads.[3]
Brains process words differently when they’re on paper. There's a significant amount of research that suggests our brains process a book differently if we read it in paper format versus a small screen. A Norwegian study concluded that "students who read texts in print scored significantly better on the reading comprehension test than students who read the texts digitally.” [4]
B to B communications are better in print. Paper has been shown to be more effective for communicating detailed information. A B2B sales effort often involves important documentation to ensure the customer needs are met. Providing this information in paper format can increase the customer's comprehension and recall.[5]
Have you moved away from print for some of your most important communications? Maybe it’s time to swing back. While digital can be great for some communications, neuroscience says the tactile nature of print is more likely to engage your customer’s brain.
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Read another article about print effectiveness.
[2] Temple University Study
[3] Bangor University Study
