Embossing has experienced kind of a renaissance as of late. Embossed business cards and stationery harks back to a simpler, less technologically-connected era. The process of embossing print lends it a more human look that is both reassuring and pleasing to look at. And if nothing else, embossed business cards look killer on your business’s Instagram account.
But it’s not just about looks. It’s about that most underappreciated of human sense as well—touch. The feel, and to a lesser extent, the smell of print has, time and again, proven itself to be irresistible. Studies have shown people retain more information when reading from print materials than they do on computers and mobile devices. This seems to have a direct implication on customer retention and sales as well.
The Human Touch
Consider the rise of the online print industry in the past two decades. It came around at a time that mobile and communications technology was threatening to replace print in everyday life. A number of pundits even thought that paperless offices would be the norm these days, and that obviously has not come to pass. Every time a major company tries to move away from print in its marketing to save money, it almost always inevitably crawls back because print continues to have a superior return on investment compared to literally every other marketing channel out there.
The value of print is most evident in catalogs, as marketers are able to directly measure their effectiveness as a sales tool compared to online channels. J.C. Penney for instance, went back to print marketing after a 5-year hiatus after demand refused to die down. It turns out not only are catalogs far more effective in terms of sales per dollar spent, they also help the online aspect of the business by humanizing the brand and giving customers a passive way to look through items for sale that doesn’t demand too much attention.
And this is just catalogs. The only major difference between them and say, a flyer or embossed business card is that you’re able to directly measure their performance. It’s reasonable to assume that other kinds of quality print materials can have a similarly positive effect on our branding and our bottom line, though in a less obvious way.
Why You Should Consider Embossed Business Cards And Stationery
As it turns out, we love printing. And not just us, as print professionals. We, as in most people, period. We tend to value the information we find on print. And if the print material looks and feels valuable, we’re much more likely to believe the information has more value as well. This explains why companies like J.C. Penney embraced print materials again after unsuccessful experiments in paper-free marketing didn’t pan out the way they expected.
The sense of touch and the perception of value are central when it comes to making print materials that are easily remembered. It’s clear that embossed business cards and stationery takes this up a notch by giving your materials added texture and looking incredible at the same time. Not only are recipients far more likely to keep embossed materials, they’re much more likely to absorb the information on them. For a business, the implications are clear – embossed business cards and stationery are a worthwhile investment.
