Why Print Outperforms Digital When It Comes to Memorable Brand Moments

Endless notifications, ads popping up left and right, sponsored content that seems to bleed into organic posts more and more every day. When it comes to sharing your brand message, it might be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that going digital is the best way to get your audience’s attention. After all, the digital world is where they’re already spending the majority of their free time, right?

But if the goal is to create a memorable brand moment - the kind that draws the eye, piques the interest, sticks around in the brain, gets talked about, and ultimately influences behavior - attention doesn’t always equal impact, and a preference for the analogue is something we’re seeing more and more of.

Busting the Myth That Digital is Always Best

Whether you’re a small business owner or part of a big team in a big company, you’ll likely have been told at some point to invest at least a small budget into digital marketing. Updating your website, running paid ads, putting out social posts, creating video content, building up your email lists; they can all have a big benefit to your business when done right, and often require very little upfront cost to get things going.

As open rates start to creep up, social posts gain more traction, and you start seeing more traffic hitting your website, it might feel like that small budget you set aside to start spreading the word is actually paying off. But what happens when we look a bit deeper at the meaning behind the metrics?

It’s easy to assume that more social reach instantly equals an expanded customer base, but in reality, it’s rarely the case. Meanwhile, paid ads targeting low cost per click might get you some website visitors, but how many of those clicks actually convert to become paying customers?

Research shows that when you count actual leads or sales, print campaigns more consistently hit the bullseye and deliver a higher ROI than digital ads. And it’s not because they’re only mailed out to people who are ready to receive your message; rather, the format of print itself works differently when it comes to audience engagement. Something as tangible and real-world as a printed flyer or brochure can really cut through the noise in a society that’s increasingly struggling with screen fatigue. After all, the best way to stop the scroll is sometimes not to be a part of it in the first place…

Marketing is a Memory Game, and Print Usually Wins

Let’s face it: the brand moments we remember rarely happen purely through the screen. Whether it’s a take-home memento from that amazing pop-up you once visited, a branded bag of goodies from a conference where you built connections, or the ten minutes you spent looking through a brochure that had found its way onto your coffee table, the messages we’re more likely to remember are usually received in the real world.

So, whilst print marketing holds its own in terms of bald stats on performance (read on to learn more), there’s a lot to be said for the way it sticks around in your head, too.

According to the experts, the best way to be remembered is by invoking as many of the five senses as you can, and with print, you can hit 80% of them…

• Touch
  Glossy, matte, textured, soft-touch. Print invites physical interaction. Your audience doesn’t just see your brand; they feel it, creating a tactile, real-world connection that digital simply can’t replicate.
  
  
• Sight
  High-impact visuals, expertly laid out to draw the eye and retain attention, can often be more effective off screen. Away from the distractions of pop-ups or notifications, or that ever-tempting scroll, printed materials allow for deeper focus and stronger visual recall.
  
  
• Smell
  Whether it’s a subtle paper scent or a deliberately added fragrance, scent can create powerful emotional associations, and even act as a memory trigger. Got a signature scent you want people to associate with your brand? Douse those pages in your chosen fragrance and you’re guaranteed to be remembered for doing something different.

• Taste
  They say that taste is one of the only things that can transport people in time and space. Free product samples, anyone?

And it’s not just the sensory appeal that gives print a good rep when it comes to creating memorable brand moments - it’s the length of time audiences spend engaging with it, too. For example, when your print marketing looks great, feels great, and reads well, not only are more people likely to take a look at it, but they’re likely to engage with it longer than they would something on their screen. And this is backed by data: According to a study from 2022, readers spend on average 20 minutes engaging with a print publication.

There’s also the increased chance of multiple engagements. Printed materials are usually passed around, left on desks, displayed, and picked up multiple times, giving you endless opportunities for getting your brand seen.

Print vs. Digital Marketing Performance: The Data for 2026

The reason B&B Press can continue to support businesses with their print marketing campaigns is because (surprise, surprise) print marketing works. Here are just a few stats that help to paint the picture of print’s position in 2026.

More Opens, Better Engagement

In terms of open rates, direct mail trumps email marketing every time, with an average open rate of 60% (vs. email’s ~21.5%). Not only this, but the stats on active engagement are up with direct mail too, with 40% of recipients reading and engaging with the content.

Want To Up Your Response Rate? Choose Print.

Research from the Data & Marketing Association shows that direct mail has a higher response/conversion rate than email marketing, social media ads, and even pay-per-click ads in some cases. Here’s how each platform measures up…

So, while digital excels at scale, print often delivers when it comes to impact and that all-important ROI.

Is Print or Digital Best for Sustainability?

Sustainability is often where print faces the most scrutiny. With more companies advocating for greener practices and “going paperless”, it’s easy to see why many assume that print equals more waste and harm to the environment.

But the truth isn’t quite so black and white. While print does involve physical materials, it also benefits from a well-established circular system. Paper is renewable, widely recycled, and usually sourced from responsibly managed forests (at least 90% of paper in Europe, anyway). Print also has a fixed, measurable carbon footprint.

Digital, on the other hand, relies on energy-intensive data centres, networks, and devices — many of which aren’t recycled at end-of-life. On top of this, digital’s carbon impact is ongoing, increasing with every view, click, and download.

Research comparing the two shows that neither channel is inherently “better”. Instead, the environmental impact depends on how each is used. Learn more about the sustainability of print vs. digital channels in our recent blog.

Our Most Memorable (Offline) Brand Moments

When it comes to creating brand moments that stand out, there are quite a few to choose from. Here’s a small list of just some of our favourite experiences and interactions that brands have created away from the screen.

IKEA - “Cook This Page”

Ever had the urge to stick a magazine ad in the oven? It’s absolutely NOT something we’d usually suggest, but when you’re IKEA, it’s pretty standard to think completely outside the box.

That’s exactly what they did with their “Cook This Page” campaign. Using parchment-style paper printed with all the ingredients and instructions needed to create a tasty dish, the twist came when readers were encouraged to place their food directly onto the page, roll it up, and cook it.

As far as print campaigns go, this one was inventive, interactive, and a bit of fun — all the ingredients needed to get the conversation going.

Glacial Beer Cooling Ad

A luke-warm beverage is the bane of every beer drinker on the planet. Thankfully, Glacial knew all about it and provided a nifty solution with one of their print ads.

Using paper laced with salt particles, Glacial’s ad spread encouraged readers to tear out the page, drench it in water, and wrap it around their bottle of beer. Thanks to the salt, popping it in the freezer expedited the cooling process, providing a perfectly chilled beer in half the time.

John Lewis Christmas Catalogue

You know Christmas has come when the John Lewis ad shows up on the telly, and you prepare to shed a tear or two.

For years, the brand’s reputation has centred around delivering emotionally powerful storytelling, especially at the most wonderful time of the year. The TV ad is the one that everyone talks about, but in 2020, John Lewis did something a bit different by delivering their tear-jerkers in print.

The multi-channel campaign saw their core Christmas narrative come to life beyond the screen in the form of a printed holiday catalogue, filled with beautiful illustrations, product ideas, and their emotive Christmas story, providing multiple touchpoints for fans of their usual work.

Going All-In with an Integrated Campaign

When the aim is to be remembered, it isn’t about choosing print over digital. In truth, the most effective campaigns take a strategic approach and leverage the power of both channels.

Memorable brand moments happen when print captures attention and creates a lasting impression, and digital can then be used to extend that experience by offering interactivity, immediacy, measurable results and a broader reach.

In 2026, audiences aren’t found in one single place, and one channel doesn’t trump another. The real key to success is finding ways to make your brand messaging work on screen, and off it.

Make Your Print Marketing Mean Something

Digital channels are oversaturated with content - much of it low-quality, inauthentic, or AI-generated - and it’s true that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to cut through the noise.

Today’s consumer seeks honesty, authenticity, and an alignment in values from the brands they choose to shop with. No longer impressed by grand marketing claims about saving the planet, they demand real-world impact, transparent reporting, and results. Working with a sustainable print partner can be a big tick in the pros column when it comes to customers evaluating your brand.

Want to learn more about the benefits of sustainable print? Read our recent blog for more insights on how you can leverage print marketing to truly stand out from the crowd and create a brand moment that lasts.