Select Comments: Print, Permanence and Credibility

In a way, print seems to have more credibility than digital because it takes a commitment to produce and read, there’s sense of permanence. Digital is fleeting and becomes easy to forget.

Digital content can be edited, updated and changed at the click of a mouse or tap of a finger. Printed material offers some authenticity and intent, now more than ever, since the information is more of a commitment.

Print just feels more substantial and there is a sense that someone or something real is standing behind it.

There is a credibility gap between print and digital media for one primary reason: the consumer knows that today almost anyone can create a professional looking web presence without a large investment. However, when you’re talking print, readers either know or can sense that if something has been well designed and printed (especially on high end papers), then that means the company must have solidity. Printed materials inherently exude credibility.

With a deliberately targeted pertinent message, print and digital communications can carry the same weight of legitimacy and trustworthiness. Using both well is the key for saturation and cohesion.

I feel print gets more notice than the never-ending flow of junk to my email inbox.

I agree that print is better at building trust and relationship between company and consumer. However, I also believe that credibility depends more generally on the quality of the design of marketing materials and of the organization that stands behind them. At a quick glance, printed media engenders more trust than digital, but there are other factors to be considered.

So much of what is digital or online has become undermined in recent years. People realize that you can just throw anything together digitally. Whereas print represents an investment in both time and money that makes people trust it more. In my experience, if you’re spending the money to print communications, there’s a distinct reasoning for it, giving the messaging a feeling of importance.

Not sure if print has more credibility than any other form of communication but I do think in the era of ‘fake news’ there is an inherent reality to committing your branding message to something you can hold on to for longer than a few seconds.

Print communications will always have more credibility because of the fact more work is required of it, as well as investment. Digital, while effective at times, tends to be antiseptic with a feeling of being too immediate. Print always requires the recipient to take in a whole experience centered around most of the five senses and creates a greater connection to the viewed communication.

Print is still more of a commitment because once it is done, it cannot be changed, but the distinction between print and digital is fading in the eyes of the consumer. Now it is all just information.

I agree that print is better at building trust and relationships between company and consumer. However, I also believe that credibility depends more generally on the quality of the design of marketing materials and of the organization that stands behind them. At a quick glance, printed media engenders more trust than digital, but there are other factors to be considered.

Because of ephemerality and easy access to production tools for digital graphics, print feels more special. But, if poorly executed, blunders in print are far more difficult to undo both in cost and visibility.

Print is an important foundation for nearly any brand. Historically print is recognized as a commitment to the brand, inherently valuable and respected. Until history changes that, print will remain the credible choice.

I totally agree that print is a vital part of design because it puts my clients literally in their customers’ hands. To me, a company is much more credible when I have their business collateral in hand – it truly and in a tactile way, connects me to the company. I am getting tired of online mediums because it all ends up looking the same — print has more character and presence.

Traditional media is seen as more credible than digital media overall, but there is no doubt that traditional media must be partnered with digital media to effectively communicate, especially across age groups; younger age groups are immersed in digital communication.

On the issue of trust and credibility in print, I think it is still the most reliable medium. Its longevity is unmatched and people still like to handle and feel neat things. Interesting papers aren’t used as much anymore because of turnaround time and cost, but if you can create something using them, even the CEO will show it to his friends. Nevertheless, we still need to adopt more technology in marketing. You can grab people with a cool printed piece that will be passed around, but if you want your target to respond quickly, electronic is the way to go.

Good print takes more time, thus more devotion, so I think there is more trust in a well-done printed piece.

The notion that print is more credible is a generational perception and is changing fast. A new generation of leaders will figure out how to establish trust using new media. – Juan Carols Lopez, Nema Associates Inc, Newark NJ

I don’t think print pieces are necessarily more trustworthy. I think it depends on the design and method of delivery for the web piece.

Our real estate and financial clients still require print for reasons of trust and confidence, but they are moving toward digital distribution such as PDFs and apps.

Print definitely has more credibility … who can trust anything online these days?

I believe digital has just as much credibility as print now. Both mediums tell truth and lies.

Our sales team has better responses on larger projects when they give a potential customer a leave behind, coupled with a presentation.

Well-designed printed communications are less frequent, so they become less noise-like and are seen more.

I think print pieces are more memorable. Print stays in the hands of customers longer.

There is a difference in the user interaction; I just don’t think it is as subjectively linked to trust or legitimacy.

This depends on the communication being presented, but print has a longer shelf life than digital communication.

Print is seen as more trustworthy but with the time and cost elements involved it is increasingly less pursued.

Print has credibility and trustworthiness as it has the precise information that clients want. No searching website links.

I appreciate a good quality printed piece; it shows legit business status.

I think printed communications at least SEEM more trustworthy than a lot of what is found on the Internet because, often, we are not sure of the true source of information online. I believe print is more trusted because it can’t be removed/deleted after it has been delivered.

I don’t think print is more trustworthy than digital, but it is
producing positive results when integrated with digital.

I believe that printed materials have a deeper connection to us as humans and resonate in our brains much faster than digital. It’s important to make them meaningful and sustainable when at all possible.

I guess there is some additional credibility that comes along with print. In this world of digital where ‘fake news’ seems to be a trend, I can see how print might be taken a bit more
seriously. The permanence of it lends itself to that more easily.

If someone goes to the expense of printing over shooting off an email (which can be costly too, but people do not associate it with great cost) the recipient generally feels value as well as legitimacy and trustworthiness.

I think printed material still has the edge over digital printing. People still like to feel, smell and hold printed material. I guess this would be especially true of baby boomers.

For the seasoned marketing professional there is nothing that can truly replace the feel and experience of handling a printed material.

All age groups have a certain innate mistrust of digital — either due to lack of familiarity, to stories of identity theft and phishing, or even to their techno-savvy allowing them to understand just how changeable and dangerous the digital world can be. A lot of this is perception, but perception often becomes reality. Until this changes, print will be more credible.

I think the trouble with online media, specifically the advertising, is that it is more invasive to users in the online space, creating a block between user and content. Print is more stable, passive and respectful about letting the user decide where to put his or her attention, and this behavior has built up over generations.

Print is effective at building confidence and relationships, especially for more expensive purchases such as cars.

Trust and credibility are not necessarily preferred in print form. Trust and credibility come with quality of work. I always check a firm’s background on the web whether I initially am contacted via print or web.

I see no connection between the media that delivers the message, and the degree of trust or credibility. As far as I’m concerned, trust and credibility are a function of the content, imagery, copy and design of the message, not the delivery system.

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