Introduction
In 2023, interactive print will change how companies communicate with their audience. Print companies, marketers, manufacturers and retailers are using the ability of interactive print to bridge print, digital and social messaging in omnichannel marketing. Practically everything a company prints – direct mail postcards, brochures, catalogs, posters, even product packaging – becomes a 3D, video or ecommerce engagement with customers.
Embed WebAR QR or other codes in printed content and businesses can give customers more information and connect them to videos, websites, ecommerce sites and augmented reality experiences on their smart devices. It brings print products to life with fresh, creative content and makes every interaction enjoyable, memorable and profitable.
Retail, product packaging, direct mail, marketing collateral print, and posters and signage are among the industries that will see the biggest impact in 2023.
Retail
Interactive print in an omnichannel strategy gives retailers new, exciting ways to showcase their products and lets audiences explore them in a more engaging and enriching way. Retail product displays, demo stations, kiosks and retail signs become chances to stand apart from the competition, with messaging that starts in print and moves to digital destinations that lead to higher conversions and more sales.
Westside BMW, a leading Australian BMW dealership, wanted to display its inventory in a shopping mall, in high-traffic hallways, a time-proven way to attract an audience. But the dealership didn’t want to pay to transport a large number of cars, worry about security, insure against damage or take valuable inventory off the lot. The answer was interactive print banners enhanced with augmented reality, displayed throughout the mall. They recreated the car shopping experience with video and augmented reality content, delivered through WebAR QR codes and viewed on the shopper’s smartphone. The customer’s final stop was a call to action to book a test drive.
Product Packaging
Interactive printing on product packaging and labels gives businesses a chance to share extra messaging that goes deeper into the shopper’s experience. It captures a shopper’s attention with engaging storytelling that can use animation, video and 3D modeling, which leap off the packaging and label through the customer’s smartphone. Products are often judged by how attractive and creative their packaging is, and interactive print adds an exciting element of appeal.
PMD, an internationally recognized importer of fine teas and tea products, wanted to tell its customers about its company values and its commitment to ethically sourced and produced tea. The company added QR codes to its product packaging that connected viewers with exclusive AR and video content about its mission and values. The last stop on the viewer’s journey was a call to action to visit the PMD Tea online store for more to shop.
Direct Mail
Interactive print has made a dramatic impact as the direct mail part of a business’s omnichannel marketing strategy. Direct mail on its own has an impressive ROI and consistently high conversion rates. Add interactive print experiences enhanced with augmented reality or video and direct mail results climb to new levels. According to USPS Delivers, marketers who coordinated direct mail with digital marketing increased response rate by 63%, website visits by 68% and leads by 53%.
UnitedOne Credit Union, one of the oldest and most respected credit unions in Wisconsin, wanted its traditional direct mail campaigns to work harder. The answer was to combine augmented reality with variable print software to produce a personalized, targeted message. It included a handwritten welcome from the branch manager, a 360-degree tour of the local office, and a WebAR splash page with a built-in call to action that let UnitedOne track and measure every interaction.
Marketing Collateral
Interactive print is getting cheaper to add to marketing collateral, and businesses of all sizes are rethinking what print can do in omnichannel marketing. Posters, rack cards, postcards, brochures, catalogs and other collateral can come to life through a WebAR QR code and a smart device. Print has always been one of the most trusted marketing channels, and a new layer of engagement only makes it stronger.
Harcourts Stafford, a leading real estate agency in Brisbane, Australia, wanted a fresh way to reach prospective buyers, so it created an augmented reality property booklet. Readers scanned the property images in the booklet with a smart device to see video overviews and step through interactive 3D walkthroughs. From there they were linked to an agent for more information or to book a private, in-person viewing.
Posters and Signage
Interactive print takes posters and signage used for promotion and advertising, which used to be flat and static, and gives them a way to grab attention and leave an impression. Adding interactive augmented reality to printed content has been shown to make it three times more memorable than regular print. Mobile AR users are expected to top 3.5 billion in 2023, so interactive posters and signage can reach audiences on the move.
The Queensland (Australia) Museum Network wanted to fill Brisbane with immersive, interactive art installations, posters and signage as part of Curiocity, the city’s World Science Festival, which ran for almost a month. On their own smart devices, tourists and festival-goers saw animations, images and stories by internationally acclaimed artists placed around the city. Stakeholders could monitor and adjust campaigns on an easy, intuitive dashboard and review customer engagement metrics in the full backend reporting module.
Conclusion
For interactive print, the future is already here. Businesses that don’t take advantage of what the technology offers risk falling behind their competitors. For companies willing to adopt interactive print, there has never been a better time to build engaging omnichannel campaigns that raise customer response rates, strengthen brand position and increase sales.
Contact Orpington Omni Media to learn more about creating successful interactive print campaigns.