Put A Ring On It…Print Ads Still Engage

Vogue (beyonce)A few days ago we published an article on the weird science behind ad effectiveness, and got great feedback. (It seems our readers like to know the facts about digital and print engagement.) So today we follow up with more fact-based observations, this time specifically on print ads.

This round of data comes from Readex Research and the folks there who are keeping tabs on print ad performance.

The study measured changes in how well print ads are noticed and read by consumers over the past several years, at the same time that digital has been making a tremendous impact on the marketplace.

So are ads less noticed and read in this digital age that they used to be? Apparently not.

“On average, in 2014 about 7 out of 10 (70%) reported that they saw a 1-page, 4-color ad, while 1 in 4 of all respondents read the ad. The saw average has exceeded the 2008 levels and continues to stay strong,” notes the Readex Research article.

“The read average has hovered around the 25% to 26% mark since 2004, when this analysis began. But after recent years, we are seeing a slight increase,” it continues.

“In addition, data from 2014 surveys indicates that, on average, over a third of respondents [37%] took or planned to take at least one action after seeing a 1-page, 4-color ad.”

For those of us in print the print business, this isn’t a surprise. We know that print ads are highly valuable to marketers. For many industry heavy hitters who encouraged their clients to abandon print to go digital, the tide is turning back to print as it’s becoming more obvious that print has been undervalued in recent years.

As the folks as Readex Research note, “Making the case for print advertising can be easier with this data that proves readers still engage with ads.”