Using print post GDPR

When the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) took effect in May 2018, the era of push advertising was officially over. Prior to that, digital marketing companies asked if a person wanted to opt-out from receiving targeted campaigns. Now, under GDPR, these companies must seek a person’s approval to opt-in to the adverts.

Before GDPR, social media players such as Facebook could target ads to users on their platform by mining personal data. They used ‘bundled consent’ to get critical information about users’ buying behaviours, devices they used, trends and the like. Such ‘bundled consent’ is no longer acceptable post GDPR.

GDPR was enacted to protect your personal data from organisations that were prying on your details. The act has dramatically disrupted digital marketing with tight rules that protect user data. Email marketing is facing significant changes. Consumers will need to consent to receive marketing emails from businesses. So what is the solution for advertising?

The panacea: Print

Admittedly, we’ve become so accustomed to digital advertising that we may be tempted to think that print media is dead. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Studies show that people are 70% more likely to remember an advert in print than one seen online.

Another study revealed the more vivid the print ad, the greater power it wields over a consumer’s memory of the product. British supermarket chain Waitrose is an example of a company that has leveraged on print media for advertising. The retail chain delivers striking print ads in newspapers and claims that print is their most effective ROI channel.

Print ads are trustworthy

If you thought that print ads belong in the archives, you may be surprised to learn that many prefer print to digital advertising. Research by MarketingSherpa revealed that a majority of people trust print ads in magazines and newspapers. In addition to building brand trust, print ads reach a wide audience.

As email ad campaigns wane, the power of print is again on the rise.