As the Baby Boomers age and Generation X fades into adulthood, a new target market radiates through the fog of the digitalized age; these are the millennials. Also known as Generation Y, this generation has been raised in a digital world making them the most tech-savvy individuals currently entering the workforce. Seen as impatient and obsessed with electronics, the Millennials connection to the digital universe has led to many uneasy questions in the printing industry.
Contrary to what it may seem, Millennials still love good ole paper. Studies facilitated by the United States Postal Service have proven that this generation still values printed documents. One study proved that 84% of millennials look through their mail, and 64% would rather scan mail for useful information than looking through emails. The USPS also provides additional statistics claiming that 77% of millennials pay attention to direct mail advertising, 90% think direct mail is reliable, 57% have made purchases based on direct mail offers, and 87% of millennials actually enjoy receiving direct mail.
The research did not stop there. In pursuit of studying how physical advertising affects the brain, the USPS partnered with the Center for Neural Decision Making at Temple University’s Fox School of Business for more insight. Here, researchers used methods like eye tracking and biometrics to gauge the brain’s response to physical and digital advertising. These researchers found that for direct mail, activation in a part of the brain that corresponds with motivation was 20% higher than digital advertising. They also concluded that participants had a stronger emotional response to physical ads and remembered direct mail ads 70% more than digital ads. Both of these findings exemplify the effectiveness of print advertising through thorough experimentation done by professionals.
In addition, studies have shown that being so involved digitally could lead to what some marketers call “digital fatigue”. Since Millennials spend so much time in the digital world, they become numb and less interested in digital advertising due to its regularity. On the other hand, direct mail is something that occurs once a day. This rarity of direct mail causes millennials to be more curious and intrigued. A statistic that supports this, claims that 50% of millennials ignore digital ads and only 15% of millennials ignore direct mail. USPS emphasizes that direct mail is still a useful way of advertising even in a growing digitalized age. No matter what, people will still appreciate the physical touch of something.
To back this, Sappi Paper explains the science behind touch in their book “A Communicator’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Touch”. Sappi’s study shows that more than half the brain is devoted to processing sensory experience, and most of the sensory receptivity focuses on touch. Because hands have the greatest density of sensory receptors, it makes touch that much more stimulating to the brain.
At Sandy Alexander, we have the capabilities to maximize the value of touch in our Direct Mail pieces. By offering a multitude of inline finishing techniques we are able to apply various coatings and varnishes as well as print on a soft-touch material to enhance mail campaigns. To find out more about Sandy Alexander’s ability to produce Direct Mail campaigns, take a look at our case studies or please contact Gene Palecco at gpalecco@sandyinc.com or call 973-968-3333.
