Swift Blog

If you really want to know what is happening, you ask the experts, right? So, what do print industry experts (designers, marketers, print specialists) value about print? This question ("What appeals to you about print?") was recently put to a variety of print industry professionals. The responses reveal why this channel continues to captivate people despite digital alternatives.

Historical Significance and Cultural Impact

Print shaped civilization. From revolutionary manuscripts to foundational documents influencing governance, print has driven social progress and preserved ideas across centuries. Working within this tradition connects professionals to something larger than individual campaigns.

In a world drowning in digital noise, print isn't just surviving. It's thriving. As we move into 2026, savvy marketers are rediscovering what neuroscience has been telling us all along: physical materials make a lasting impression that pixels simply can't match.

The Science of Staying Power

You're preparing to launch your next direct mail campaign. You've updated your mailing list and identified your target variables, but what about your messaging? If you've been targeting the same customer base for a while, it's critical to regularly evaluate your approach to prevent things from going stale.

Here are five areas where a refresh might be in order:

Every buyer is unique. Yet, certain principles of human behavior apply to nearly everyone. Understanding these principles can help you guide your direct mail and digital marketing strategies more effectively.

Ross Kimbarovsky, founder and CEO at Crowdspring, an online marketplace for crowdsourced creative services, has synthesized these principles into five helpful marketing hacks that can transform your offers from “I’ll get to it later” to “I need to act on this right now!”

In today’s “always on” digital environment, the world is at our fingertips. Open, click, view, buy, comment, download. Anything you want. It’s all right there. Even so, book readership is on the rise, and a recent Association of National Advertisers study found that direct mail delivers a higher return on investment (ROI) than any digital channel. Why? Because “digital everything, everywhere” gets old sometimes.

Let’s look at four reasons people still embrace the value and allure of print.

When you create marketing campaigns, are you reflecting your value proposition in everything you do? You might think you only sell products, but it’s more than that. Think about a company like Campbell’s. Sure, the company sells soup, but its tagline is “Mmmm, Mmmm. Good.” Its ads show families around the table, enjoying a meal together. The company’s value proposition isn’t, “We sell soup.” or “We help you create healthy meals your family can enjoy together.”

Innovative companies know their value proposition and communicate it, directly and indirectly, every time they send a direct mail piece, blast an email, or design product packaging.

Marketers intuitively understand what surveys have told us for years: Direct mail ROI rises dramatically when direct mail is part of an integrated, multichannel marketing strategy.

According to NAPCO Research, response rates from direct mail campaigns increase by 41% when used as part of an integrated marketing campaign compared to mailings not integrated with other channels. ROI rise nearly 63%.

Increasingly, brands are jumping on the bandwagon of environmental sustainability. Consumers want to do business with brands that are kind to the earth, and brands are giving consumers what they want. However, just making sustainability claims isn't enough. You have to back them up.

Among the recent studies showing a growing preference for sustainably produced products is the "Business of Sustainability Index" from GreenPrint, which helps businesses reach and promote their sustainability goals. In its study, GreenPrint found the following:

One often overlooked aspect of maintaining a solid brand presence is regularly refreshing your marketing collateral. From direct mail to marketing emails, here are five ways to update your design and keep it fresh.

1. Update your colors.

Using recycled paper is essential in moving toward more sustainable printing, but it’s not the only one! For those who want to be friendly to the earth, here are five other ways to incorporate sustainability when designing and ordering print materials.

I recently read an article written by Twosides (twosidesna.org) titled "Reaching Consumers in an Environmentally Responsible Way: The Return of the Printed Catalog". I thought it did a complelling job highlighting the value and benefits of printed catalogs to help marketing efforts which more often than not are awash in a sea of digital efforts.

Since this is a blog I'll provide my "crib" notes:

Once again print proves itself to be an important part of any new product launch/campaign. Don't take my word for it though. Here is what Ed Kneip Jr., president and founder of Orderex, has to say about the uses and benefits. "In the world of the internet today, it seems that so many people consider printed communications to be a thing of the past. We are finding the opposite - print has evolved and is meeting our needs better than ever. Small runs for traditional marketing leave behinds still make a difference for us. With today's technology and quality, we are able to do A/B message testing to see what messages resonate the most, refine that message and get back to the market in a matter of days. We also need to have material printed on new substrates that can be applied to tables, floors, and windows. Here too, small runs, amazing quality, and quick turns help us to create immediate value for our customers. Our next step is to explore how technology and expertise have increased response and return on mailers. Having a partner that can do all of this seamlessly and in any size run we need is amazing."

Orderex is the first solution built to enhance the dining experience. "Finally take back control of your dining experience."

Greenwashing Leads To Misleading Anti-Paper Statements

Greenwashing is “disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present and environmentally responsible public image (Oxford)”. You and your family and friends have, more than likely, been exposed to Greenwashing without even knowing it. When you receive invoices and other corporate information in the mail you are, more likely than not, encouraged to “Go Green – Go Paperless” or “Choose e-billing and help save a tree”. What those messages are really saying is allow us to serve you digitally so we can cut costs and improve profits.