If you own a business and you’ve been thinking about running some print advertising but are hearing a lot of people in the advertising world saying that print advertising is dead, here is the one question to ask yourself – do major successful publicly traded companies still advertise in print?

The answer is a resounding, yes, yes they do.

Not only is print advertising very much alive but here is a list of publication types that are used by a variety of businesses that continue to see success from these mediums of print advertising. In this article, we will discuss which commercial printing option will work best for your business.

Catalogs

Department stores like Macy’s, Sears, and even Chico’s have seen massive success from publishing and distributing their paper catalogs. I know what you are thinking, who the heck orders from a catalog, how do you even do that?!?! It works like this, most people are picking up the catalog, seeing something that interests them, and going into the store or online because they saw it in a catalog. The printed catalog actually starts people on the journey to the website or brick and mortar location. The purchase would not have happened without the catalog, and that is why the print catalog is thriving in the retail industry. In the words of  Felix Carbullido from Williams-Sonoma Inc. “delivering inspiration to one’s doorstep is still successful.” As you can see, catalogs are a great commercial printing option.

Magazines

Magazines are a great way to provide valuable information to your prospects in the form of inspiring pictures and articles that they want to see. When you publish a magazine, it’s a great way to build your brand and not just push your product on your consumers. You are providing them with entertainment and enlightenment on the subject matter of your industry. The most significant advantage of advertising in magazines is that you can precisely target consumers who are in your “target market” and who are more likely to purchase your product or service. Businesses that benefit most from magazines are those in the food, fitness, and health industries.

Direct Mailers

Direct mailers are a great call to action, which works great for credit cards, media subscriptions, and home renovation. You’ll only have about thirty seconds before they put it in a pile with the rest of their mail, but if worded and printed correctly, 30 seconds is all you need. Direct mailers can be a very effective marketing tool.