Ever since digital marketing walked on the scene, advertisers have concentrated more on this new form of marketing because they assume it’s all readers are consuming. But print advertising hasn’t lost it’s importance despite advertisers lack of attention to it. Although digital marketing has its place in the marketing world, paper seems to take the emotional win in advertising according to neuroscience. This blog will pick the brain of consumers as they interact with print advertising to determine just how effective it is.

The science behind neuroscience

When we read, we see images first, then context and after that the information we’ve gathered either gets stored in our long or short-term memory. Cognitive neuroscience tells us that reading isn’t a sense that humans possess, it’s something we teach ourselves. We have been conditioned to read words from paper and scientists warn of a cognitive overload that takes place when reading excessively on screens. Reading on paper is more natural and offers less of a strain on the brain.

According to this white paper from MPA – The Association of Magazine Media, “Another theme explored in the cognitive neuroscience literature concerns the possible negative impact of “cognitive load” that both the volume and the hyperlinked nature of digital information impose. Research in this vein explores the possibility that hyperlinks distract us from taking in the logical flow of linear information and thus undermine our ability to comprehend and remember.”

Readers relate to paper on an emotional level and as a result pay attention to it

The use of emotional appeal is nothing new to print advertising. Whether it’s  employing dramatic copy, or an image that strikes a response in the reader. This works the same with other advertising initiatives, but with print advertising in particular, what makes it special is the fact that readers love to feel paper because it triggers neural responses. Reading on print is a slower process and a deeper connection is formed, meaning you are more likely to remember what you’re reading. Because paper is multisensory, people are more likely to pay attention, grasp what they’re reading and recall it.  Findings indicate that reading print is more intimate than reading off a screen.

Print advertising is a marketers best friend

We’ve shown how science shows that print advertising is effective, so by now you should need no more convincing that it still has it’s place in marketing, for more information on this check out our blog, The Final Say: What Marketing Experts Think About Print Media. Print advertising works well in conjunction with other marketing initiatives and in fact boosts brand consideration and purchasing intent. This study showed that, “physical ads triggered activity in the area of the brain (ventral striatum) that is responsible for value and desirability for featured products, which can signal a greater intent to purchase.”

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Image Credit: MCA RJ

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