The Power of Print to “Win the Moment”

May 4, 2021

Your Brand’s Print Has Just Seconds

Power of Print to Win the Moment Read it or throw it in the recycling bin? The average print piece – brochure, mailer, sales piece – gets just a few seconds in front of potential buyer before he or she decides. We call getting those seconds just right “winning the moment.” And we believe that a lot of the printed materials used by brands could be far more effective at doing it. To illustrate, we’ll share a story about how one brand lost the moment.

Ready?

Losing the Moment – A Cautionary Tale

A few months ago, I ordered a sample of a new high-end ceramic roofing product from the manufacturer’s website. It arrived in a couple of days with just the one sample color I was interested in.

As part of Qualprint, a commercial printing company that helps other companies create more powerful brand experiences through their print programs, I couldn’t help thinking about all the opportunities the manufacturer missed. The sample’s arrival and opening could have been a fun, exciting and memorable moment. It could have created an emotional connection between me and the brand. It could have done way more to give me the confidence I needed to say, “yes.”

But it didn’t. Instead the sample arrived in a plain corrugate box with a UPS address label. Inside was nothing but the sample wrapped in bubble wrap. No sales collateral. No information on the sample but a small label with the color name and order number. No information on what to do if I wanted to buy. Nothing to win the moment.

Contact us now

For more information and if you need assistance with printing and print marketing

Phone: (413) 442-4166

Blog Form

How the Story Should Have Ended

Now sending samples like this out for free is a costly program. And my mind immediately starting rattling off a list of things the manufacturer could have done to dramatically improve the return it gets on its sampling program. Or in our words, how it could have won the moment instead of letting it slide.

the-power-of-print-to-win-the-moment

Here are a few ideas:

The exterior of the corrugated box could have been branded with a company logo and a fun teaser message – for instance, “Your house is going to be excited!”
The contents could have been personalized with a letter addressed to me, welcoming me and giving me an inspirational story about the product and its ability to transform my home – plus offered me a discount on purchase
It could have listed the addresses of any nearby homes that have the same product.
The inside lid of the box could have also been printed with how to perform my own “at-home try on” – offering 3 step instructions on how to choose the right roof style for my home and start the buying process
This could have included a QR link to a visualizer app that would allow me to see the roof on an image of my house
Printed collateral could have been included explaining the benefits of the new product. Or cross selling other products the company makes that work with their roofing – gutters, decorative trim, vents or siding – including any promotions currently going on.
The back of the sample could have shown all the other colors the product came in – in case I didn’t fall in love with the one I originally chose.

You get the idea. So, let’s wrap this story up.

Reimagining Your Print Program

In this hyper competitive world customer expectations continue to evolve. What it takes to drive results with your marketing – including your print program – also continues to evolve. Like digital marketing, it’s no longer just about good content. It’s about brilliant content, personalized and placed in front of your customer at the exact moment it will have the greatest impact. It’s about doing everything right to win that moment. Our business is helping our customers reimagine their commercial print programs to make that happen.

So, if you’re wondering how our exceptional craftsmanship and suite of the world’s best production and finishing technologies can help your print program, we’re here for you. Contact us to learn more. In the meantime, return to our blog page over the coming months for examples of how we help our customers win the moments for their brands.