03/15/2018
Revisiting the Power of Print
Source: Printing Impressions, March 7, 2018
By Pat Friesen
Haptically speaking, there's a lot to be said for writing marketing messages for print. For starters, they have a better chance of being read when printed on paper and remembered than those viewed on a screen. (More on this later.)
If you're not familiar with haptics, it's the neuroscience of touch. What we know about haptics is based on extensive research that has produced fascinating findings.
You may wonder why, in today's digital world, marketing communicators should care about haptics. As it turns out, there are plenty of reasons starting with this: According to neuroscientist/haptics hotshot Dr. David Eagleman, "Human touch represents a powerful form of non-verbal communication."
If this sounds interesting, I highly recommend "A Communicator's Guide to the Neuroscience of Touch." It's a joint project of Dr. Eagleman and the paper people at Sappi. Some highlights from the book to pique your interest, followed up with some quick thought from me:
- More than half the brain is devoted to processing sensory experience, and much of that sensory receptivity focuses on touch. (PF: Hmmm. So, my words on paper are likely to get extra attention from my reader's brain. Good to know.)
- When you touch something, it triggers a reaction. You feel differently about what you touch. You begin to feel you own it. And research shows this makes you value it more. (PF: Soooo, this is why I can't throw away greeting cards, catalogs and direct mail pieces I've held onto for 10 or 15 years.)
- Rough. Smooth. Heavy. Light. Hard. Soft. What you touch shapes what you feel, and this influences perceptions - consciously and subconsciously - related to what you read. (PF: Savvy paper companies, printers and designers who understand print are capitalizing on this.)
- Here's where it gets really interesting for those of us who write for both digital and print. According to Ferris Jabr, whose article "Why The Brain Prefers Paper" appeared in Scientific American, "People understand and remember what they read on paper better than what they read on screen. Researchers think the physicality of paper explains the discrepancy."
Hmm. Maybe this is why when I read something important on screen, I print it. Then reread and digest it later.
Studies show people read best on paper for three reasons...
Read the full article.