Is Print Marketing...Back?
Table Of Contents
What is Print Marketing?
The Trend of Slow Marketing
Why Print Marketing Works
An Example of Print Marketing Done Right
Is Your Brand Right for Print?
Print isn’t dead…it’s back.
Digital marketing has been the major buzzword for the past decade. It has our hearts, of course, too, being a digital marketing agency and all. However, with the rise of more customer experiences and brands trying to stand out, we are seeing print marketing quietly coming back to the scene.
Let's talk about why it's working and if it could be an opportunity for your brand to tap back into this market, too.
What is Print Marketing?
Print marketing refers to any form of advertising that uses printed materials to promote a brand. Instead of appearing on screens, print marketing shows up in the real world, meaning in people’s hands, mailboxes, storefronts, and everyday environments. Thinking everything from business cards and flyers, to postcards and branded packaging.
And at first, this might make you think of your grandparents reading their newspapers, but it's not just the boomer generation still hooked on print marketing. It's the younger generations getting hooked on it for the first time.
The Trend of Slow Marketing
As we know, trends are a constant cycle — fashion, music, interior design styles, and even marketing. Millennials brought back record players, Polaroids, and 80's high-waisted jeans. Gen Z is bringing back flip phones and slow marketing. "Gen Z consumers are turning away from their digital lives to live a bit slower," i.e., taking breaks from social or not having them at all. That's giving plenty of opportunities for print marketing to come back into play, but in creative ways.
Why Print Marketing Works
It's Cutting Through The Noise
Social media is overcrowded. Every brand is on socials these days, and everyone is creating. People are jumping in on trends. Emails are flooding your inbox. And, most of them are all saying the same thing. (and that's on not having a solid marketing strategy...yikes!) But print, it's different. It feels new again. It feels personal.
It's Intentional
Influencers receiving PR packages have made us all feel a little jealous from time to time. Print marketing is like a little taste of that. Someone took the time to actually send you something via snail mail, or print out their business card and give you one, or even hang up their posters all over the city. It feels intentional and personal.
Reaches New Audiences
At this point, so many people are on social media platforms and email, but what if this is the way you can diversify your marketing and reach new audiences that might not be checking their socials every day?
Rule of 7
The rule of 7 in marketing is the concept that a customer needs to see a message about a product/service/brand at least seven times before they purchase, often across different channels, so it sets in. We see so much content every single day as consumers. Ads on TV, scrolling through your feeds on each social media app you have, billboards you drive by on your way to the coffee shop, so it can take a while for those to actually sink in. Adding print marketing to your campaign could be the perfect way to help your campaign set in and be remembered.
An Example of Print Marketing Done Right
A brand that is crushing print marketing lately, Bobbie. Bobbie is a USDA organic infant formula brand that has always been a favorite social media account for us to follow, even before motherhood (that's how good it is), but in 2025, they have really leaned in to print marketing campaigns.
In fact, they even took their monthly email marketing newsletter and put it to paper. Meaning, they created an actual printed and delivered it to subscribers! Check out a few of their other campaigns.
Is Your Brand Right for Print?
While we do think this is making a comeback, is it right for every brand? No. It takes the right campaign, creative, and strategy. If we were to start a print marketing campaign for you right now, we'd think about:
What are the goals of the campaign?
Awareness? Lead generation? Customer retention? It needs a clear purpose to deliver results.
How will this connect to your digital campaigns?
All your channels should connect to create cohesive messaging and bridge the offline and online experience.
Who is the audience, and where will they actually see this?
The placement matters just as much as the message. Direct mail, in-store materials, handouts, and even print-outs — each serves a different purpose.
What story or feeling do we want this piece to create?
Print is tactile. It’s emotional. It should feel intentional the moment someone touches it.
Is the timing right?
Print works best when aligned with launches, seasonal pushes, or campaigns that need a memorable touchpoint.
Print isn’t replacing digital, it’s making it better. As consumer behavior shifts, especially with younger generations craving slower, more meaningful experiences, print marketing offers brands a chance to stand out in new ways they might have written off in the past.
If you’re curious whether print could be the next smart move in your marketing strategy, our team would love to help you explore it. Check out our On Call by Social Savvy, a service where we can create customized marketing support, wherever you need it most. It's like having a marketing team on speed dial.
