Research: Print Ads More Effective than Online and TV
Print ads are better than both online and TV at increasing brand favourability and purchase intent, according to a US study by Millward Brown.
The research, trailed in a piece for Ad Week, found that print’s attributes of highly trusted content, consumer engagement and validated sales drivers make it a highly prized medium in a multiplatform world.
Millward Brown’s analysis of nearly 100 ad effectiveness studies found that physical materials, such as an ad in print, generate more emotional engagement than digital media, and print gives recall of ads on other channels a powerful boost.
The Ad Week piece says: “Print ads are better than both online and TV at increasing brand favorability and purchase intent, according to a Millward Brown meta-analysis of nearly 100 ad effectiveness studies.
“In other words, this research proves print’s favourable attributes that every new media option is trying to tap into—namely trusted content, consumer engagement and validated sales drivers. Here are three more reasons why print advertising is a worthy investment.
“There’s been a lot of scientific research on the print vs. digital debate. For example, Temple University neuroscientists used brain mapping to discover that people were more likely to remember an ad and its context if they saw it in print as opposed to on a screen.
“In fact, the print-exposed group showed significantly higher activity in the area of the brain associated with reward processing and desirability—an actual marketer’s dream.
“It’s a multi-channel world, and brands need to reach consumers across a myriad of print, broadcast and online platforms to deliver their messages effectively. Millward Brown’s analysis found that the combination of print and TV outperformed digital and TV across all relevant metrics.
“More importantly, the print and TV combination actually gave digital and TV ad recall a boost. Thus, exposure to print and TV in ad campaigns improved consumers’ ability to correctly associate the advertised brands with their respective digital advertising messages.”
The findings of the research will be presented at the 2016 American Magazine Media Conference, 1-2 February 2016.