For many, when they think of the print industry, they think of chopping down trees in forests and harming any wildlife that gets in the way. But is this really the case?
The leading misconceptions associated with the print industry
It turns out that one of the main misconceptions associated with the print industry is that it’s wasteful and unsustainable. According to Yale University, a quarter of consumers are “very worried” about climate change. So it’s no surprise that many businesses have scrapped paper marketing and have implemented paperless policies.
However, little do they know that the forests are actually growing in size – not shrinking.
According to a recent study, many consumers still believe forests are decreasing in size, with 59% of UK consumers believing that European forests are shrinking. In reality, between 2005 and 2020 European forests grew by an impressive 58,390km2 – an area larger than Switzerland and equivalent to 1,500 football pitches of forest growth every day.
Surprisingly still, just 9% of UK consumers understand that European forests are growing. According to a study, 18-24 year olds (Gen Z) have the highest belief that forests are shrinking (69%).
Although more people believe forests are growing (9% compared to 4% in 2013), there is still a significant gap in understanding.
Why print marketing should still be on the cards for your business
Today, printing doesn’t have to be bad for the environment. Although climate change is a real concern, the print and paper industry isn’t one of the bad boys when it comes to emissions. In actual fact, paper and print products are among the lowest greenhouse gas emitters at 0.8%. Not only that – in 2019 a total of 57.5 million tonnes of paper was collected and recycled in Europe.
So there’s no need to feel guilty about using paper products for your business, as long as they are sustainably sourced.
In a digital world, many businesses forego paper cards and opt for social media presence instead. However, as well as a killer social media strategy, using marketing materials that are sustainably sourced will boost customer awareness and drive sales. For smaller businesses, distributing flyers, using posters in supermarkets and networking with business cards all help to boost awareness.
It may surprise you to know that print gets among some of the highest ROI. This may be in part that they can reach a wide audience. Whilst Gen Z and Millennials are only too keen to visit a website, older generations still value a tangible leaflet or flyer.
Should I go back to using print marketing?
No matter the type of business, you could be missing out on valuable sales opportunities by foregoing print in your marketing strategy. When creating a long-term marketing strategy, be sure to include provisions for brochures, posters, billboards, in-store displays, business cards and signage. As it has some of the highest ROI of all marketing avenues, it really pays to have a multi-channel marketing strategy.
But whatever you do – make sure it’s sustainably sourced. The planet will thank you later.