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The arrival of digital has shaken up companies and forced them to rethink. Particularly marked by this phenomenon, communication has been obliged to reinvent itself in the light of the new consumer modes, the transformation of customer relations and the multiplication of supports. Without abandoning printing, advertising has become omnichannel and chooses diffusion channels according to its marketing strategy.
The customer First at the centre of attention
Digital’s emergence has significantly modified consumer habits. Consumers have become more demanding, increasingly more active in their buying styles, and particularly more informed with the help of search engines and consumer opinions etc. This new “consom’acteur” (socially conscious consumer) continually questions and makes customer relations more complex. To win the loyalty of these new consumers, companies and businesses must constantly find ways to improve the customer experience. In other words, they must propose enriched consumer paths to satisfy customers. The objective is, therefore, to act on all the factors that have an influence on the purchase act.
Induced by the new technologies, the multiplication of on- and offline contact points propel the use of multichannels to the forefront of customer relations. By utilising all the channels at their disposal, consumers compel companies and businesses to adapt themselves to these media to win customer loyalty. Communication, with a foot in both printing and digital camps, must position and adapt itself to an omnichannel marketing strategy.
Paper or digital: how to choose communication channels?
The customer has been placed at the centre of business preoccupations in a so-called customer-centric approach, and companies find themselves compelled to propose a memorable customer experience. Consequently, businesses must choose communication supports according to their strategies, objectives and goals. Therefore, customer knowledge and customer habits are decisive in the the choice of company strategies.
To define advertising supports, it is of the utmost importance to understand the advantages and specifics of each of the media available. The choice is not so much between paper and digital, as with the right tool, depending on its usages and budget limitations. Viewed in this way, it may be preferable to utilise digital tools for their immediacy, and paper to transmit a personalised message. A promotional brochure, for example, would be the best tool to present the company during a trade fair, while an internet banner is more suitable for a limited sales proposal.
And internal communication?
Digital changes also impact on companies’ internal communication plans. Multiple factors at the centre of managerial strategy can influence the choice of communication support(s).
The choice between paper and digital tools depends on several factors: corporate culture, collaborative choices, the image the company wishes to convey, the budget. The impact can be evaluated, to a certain extent, by employee satisfaction and their implication in the success of the company and its renown.
In order to target customers in the best possible way, companies must begin by defining a marketing strategy, before determining which communication tools they will use, based on the particular characteristics of each one. In the omnichannel era, the combination of print and digital would appear to be a decisive factor in advertising campaigns.
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