Marketing Trends for 2020
Despite the rapid pace that technology advances at these days, print still holds power. According to Linchpin SEO, the majority of printing companies (72.2% to be exact) have been in business for over two decades and they’re predicted to stick around for years to come. This is because successful businesses don’t sit stagnate, they evolve. An increasing number of printing companies have continued to expand their services, with 65.4% offering graphic design.
If you want your print to thrive, take note of trends and consider how you can incorporate them into your company’s practices. With the start of the new year, now is actually the perfect time to read up on print marketing. Enter 2020 with an advantage by familiarizing yourself with these four predicted industry trends…
- Modern Graphic Design
Since graphic design is such an important element of today’s print projects, you should also pay attention to that industry’s trends. The overall theme of graphic design in 2020 will be minimalism, which is peaking after increasing in popularity for the past few years. People want to consume advertising that is clear and to-the-point. No flash, no fuss, just elegance and intention.
Minimalist design really stands out in the crowd of over-the-top digital marketing messages we’re all hit with daily. To get attention in 2020, use images that are simple and crisp. Also, keep your messaging brief. This shows people that you have something specific and authentic to say. Don’t be afraid of the white space brief messaging may leave in your design. White space fits right into the minimalism trend.
If you do feel like being colorful, however, ombres and gradients are definitely the way to go as they continue to grow in popularity. What are they exactly? Various patterns of color shifts and transitions.
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Using color in these ways helps to not only catch, but also keep, the viewer’s eye. Ombres and gradients add depth and movement to designs. They can also emphasize the texture of a printed item.
In the recent past, we’ve seen trendy gradients in a wide variety of bright, bold colors. In 2020, muted color palettes will rule the graphic design world. Muted colors are simply colors that have been slightly desaturated with black, white or a complementary color. Because ombres and gradients in general have been popular for a little while now, it is important to use them in unique ways moving forward.
- Make It Personal
If you’re not doing so already, you must personalize your print, especially your direct mail! People love feeling like unique individuals so use variable data printing to change text, such as first names, or even images. Recipients should feel like you’re addressing them specifically. This way they’ll know your message is meant for them and relevant to their lives.
- Go Green
Customers are beginning to demand, not ask, that companies across all industries use less environmentally harmful practices. Printers must focus on sustainability in 2020, especially considering it wasn’t that long ago that we had to find ways to combat deforestation. The easiest sustainable choices that can be made when it comes to printing are to recycle print shop waste and to use recycled paper for projects when possible.
Of course, a lot of companies make these types of choices voluntarily and have been for years. So, why is this a trend? Because we mean it when we say people are now demanding sustainability. They will work with someone else if they find out your company is not being open and honest about how their practices affect the environment and what efforts are being made to improve upon these.
4. Embellishments That Emphasize Texture
You don’t just have to settle for gradients that give the illusion of texture, there are plenty of trendy techniques that can be used to draw attention to the tactile nature of print’s ability to tantalize multiple senses! In 2020, try adding something new to your print collateral, such as die cuts, shiny spot UV coating, and clear inks that catch the eye, extra shiny foil, or embossing and debossing. The thing is, all of today’s online marketing takes physical touch away from consumers, who are, by nature, tactile creatures. Humans have something called haptic memory, which is a form of sensory memory specific to touch stimuli. This means that tactile sensation has a huge impact on what consumers remember. Essentially, print marketing that capitalizes on the sense of touch leads to better brand awareness and recognition.
So, don’t leave your print campaigns in the dust next year. Instead, your print marketing should work in unison with your digital marketing. Showing consumers you’re consistent will make it easier for them to trust you. And if you don’t have their trust, you can forget about all of the trends. Client relationships and brand authenticity trump everything in 2020.
