YOU CAN'T SCROLL PAST WHAT YOU'RE HOLDING
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I mean let's be honest your customer’s fridge is more loyal to you than their Instagram feed.
Sure, the world is digital. Your grandma’s on TikTok, your inbox has 4,729 unread promos, and your screen time is off the charts. But here’s the thing: print didn’t die—it evolved. It got smarter, stronger, and more strategic.
In fact, Canada Post’s neuroscience study (yes, Canada Post did science) found that direct mail sticks in people’s brains 29% more than digital ads. Even better? It requires 21% less mental effort to process.
Translation? Print is easier to understand and harder to forget. Let’s break down five tried-and-true print tactics that still crush it—even in a world where most ads disappear in 1.7 seconds.
📨 1. Direct Mail: The Undisputed Champion of IRL Attention
If your inbox is a dumpster fire, direct mail is a calm, confident handshake. It’s personal. It’s physical. And people actually read it.
📈 Stat attack: Direct mail response rates are 9% for house lists and 4.9% for prospect lists (Data & Marketing Association). Compare that to email’s modest 1% and, well… ouch.
🔥 Pro tip: Use variable data printing to personalize names, neighbourhoods, or offers. Bonus points if you add a QR code to a landing page that’s made just for them. Then you can track your mailer conversion rate, and it's effectiveness.
💡 Real-world win: A real estate agent sent postcards with a local heat-map of home sales. Boom—42% more listing calls the following month. That’s hot.
People need a visual that grabs attention, and you can't scroll past something you're holding.
🪧 2. Signage: The 24/7 Sales Rep That Never Takes a Break
Good signage is like your most charming employee—except it doesn’t call in sick or ask for vacation days. It’s always out front, looking sharp, working the room.
📊 Stat to remember: 76% of people have walked into a business solely because of its sign, and 68% made a purchase afterward (FedEx Office).
🧠 Bonus brain fact: 80% of brand recognition comes from colour alone. So make that sign pop, not flop.
🎯 Storytime: A local café put up a chalkboard sign with a funny coffee pun every day. Not only did foot traffic increase 17%, but people Instagrammed it. Free promo? Yes, please.
💼 3. Business Cards That Don’t Suck
A forgettable card ends up in the trash. A great one ends up in their wallet—or better yet, passed around like the last slice of pizza.
📊 Did you know? 72% of people judge your brand based on your business card (Statistic Brain). And yes, they will judge your flimsy, pixelated card. So look sharp. Make an impression.
🎨 Upgrade ideas: Add some foil. Try a soft-touch finish. Make it die-cut into a shape. Or add a clever phrase they can’t ignore. We personally do a 16pt Soft Touch Spot UV Raised on our cards. Are they expensive? Yes, and every person I hand it to remarks on the nice quality of card.
📌 Fun example: A financial advisor printed, “If you’re tired of losing money, Flip this over” on the front of their card.
Taking the customer from the front logo and slogan, to the back of the card where their contact info is.
But really, we're forcing the client to interact and feel the quality of the card. So while their reading the line being reminded of their pain, their interacting with a quality card. Those thoughts of how nice the card is get transferred to the Advisor.
As my father says "It's never one thing, it's always a multitude" How could you not think he is a quality financial advisor when you're handed such a beautiful card with a bold statement like that on the front. You're almost antagonized into calling, just to see what you're missing.
Result? 31% more follow-up calls. Being reminded of their pain, and giving direction to solve it, while transferring positive thoughts of the quality card. BOOM! Game changer.
🔗 4. Print-Plus: Where Analog Meets Awesome
Print and digital aren’t rivals. They’re a power couple. A good print piece can drive traffic to your site, trigger a QR code scan, or launch an AR experience.
📲 Stat snack: 67% of smartphone users prefer scanning a QR code over typing a URL (MobileIron). Because typing on glass is annoying.
🧠 Brainy bonus: Print activates the emotional and memory centers in the brain more than digital alone. It’s science. (Thanks, Canada Post.)
🎯 What worked: A gym launched a postcard promo with a scannable code for a free 7-day trial. The print version converted 52% better than the digital-only ad. Those abs didn’t tone themselves.
🎁 5. Wild Print Ideas That Make People Go “Oooooh”
When you send something unexpected, it doesn’t just get noticed—it gets kept. Creative, dimensional, or weird print pieces almost guarantee curiosity.
📦 Fact bomb: Dimensional mailers have 75% higher response rates than flat mail (DMA). People love opening stuff. It’s basically a surprise party in an envelope.
💡 Think about it: A fold-out map, a scratch-n-sniff card, a seed-paper postcard, or even a mini-zine with personality.
🎉 Our fave example: A brewery mailed coasters embedded with wildflower seeds and a QR code to win merch. Result? 380% increase in email signups. And more bees.
💬 Final Thought: Be the Thing They Hold Onto
Print doesn’t vanish into the algorithm. It doesn’t get deleted. It gets pinned to the fridge, carried in a wallet, stuck on a desk, or shared with a friend. It’s real. It’s tangible. It’s trustworthy.
And when you combine it with digital? You’re unstoppable.
So the next time someone says print is dead, hand them a thick, soft touch, spot raised UV card. Then smile as they experience quality.
Because print still works—and if you do it right, it works better than ever.
We have ideas for you, so call us up and chat, because we love to help our clients succeed.