Does Print Advertising Still Work? What Science Says About Print vs. Digital Marketing
 By Salt Life Media

If you’re a business owner trying to decide whether print advertising is still worth your time and money in a digital-first world, you’re not alone. With Google ads, Facebook promotions, and SEO campaigns dominating the conversation, it’s easy to think that print has become a relic of the past.

But a recent peer-reviewed study published in Current Science by Assoc. Prof. Selman Gokce challenges that assumption with compelling data. The 2022 study, titled Scientific Study Comparing Digital Advertising and Print Advertising, directly compares how consumers respond to print and digital ads using tools like eye-tracking, biometric monitoring, and even brain scans. The takeaway: print advertising is far from dead—and when combined with digital, it becomes a powerful tool for business growth.

How the Study Was Conducted

Rather than rely on subjective preferences or self-reported survey data, the study used empirical methods to observe how people actually process and remember ads. Functional MRI scans revealed which areas of the brain lit up when participants viewed different ad types. Eye-tracking software measured focus and attention. Biometric markers tracked engagement and emotional response.

This research was then backed by a decade’s worth of ad performance data from RAMetrics, a comprehensive database that analyzes how ads perform across both print and digital news platforms.

Print: The Power of Memory, Trust, and Emotional Impact

One of the study’s most significant findings is that print ads produce stronger memory encoding and emotional engagement than digital ads. Brain scans showed greater activity in the hippocampus and parahippocampal areas—regions associated with memory and emotional processing—when participants viewed print ads.

Here’s what the RAMetrics data showed between 2009 and 2020:

  • Print ad recall jumped from 46% to 77%, a 67% improvement.

  • The percentage of people who read print ads closely more than doubled (23% to 49%).

  • Emotional response rose by 147% over the same period.

  • Readers were 152% more likely to pay attention to print ads than digital ones.

The reason? Print feels more credible, more tangible, and less intrusive. People are used to scrolling past online ads, but a printed ad in a newspaper or magazine gets physical space and undivided attention—especially when it’s well-placed and well-designed.

Digital: The Strength of Targeting, Reach, and Real-Time Action

That said, the study also shows where digital advertising excels—particularly when it comes to conversions and real-time engagement.

Digital ads saw the following gains over the same decade:

  • Ad recall increased by 109% (from 22% to 46%).

  • Website visits from digital ads increased by 125%.

  • Purchase intent more than tripled (from 7% to 22%).

  • Recommendation rates were higher for digital (49%) compared to print (41%).

Digital platforms also allow for advanced targeting and tracking. Advertisers can define their audience by location, age, behavior, or interests—and monitor every click, impression, and conversion in real time.

This level of customization makes digital advertising a go-to for direct-response campaigns, e-commerce businesses, and any company that wants granular control over spending and performance.

Print vs. Digital: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Comparison table of print advertising and digital advertising features including attention, emotional engagement, ad recall, credibility, audience targeting, real-time tracking, conversion, and cost efficiency.

The Real Power Lies in Combining Both

The most important insight from the study is that print and digital advertising are not in competition; they’re complementary.

Businesses that use both channels together see nearly three times the impact compared to using just one. Why? Because each channel compensates for the other’s weaknesses. Print builds trust, attention, and memorability. Digital delivers reach, immediacy, and response.

Consumers who encounter a brand in both print and digital formats are more likely to remember it, trust it, and take action. This is especially important in today’s environment, where attention is fragmented and skepticism toward online content is growing.

Millennials Still Trust Print

Contrary to common assumptions, the study found that even younger audiences still value print. In fact, 75% of millennials (ages 26–42) believe information in print is more trustworthy than what they read online.

Many still prefer direct mail or printed brochures for important decisions like choosing a college, selecting a financial advisor, or shopping for healthcare. Print adds a sense of legitimacy that digital alone often can’t provide.

How to Build an Effective Mixed Strategy

If you’re a business owner trying to decide how to allocate your advertising budget, here’s what the data suggests:

  • Use print ads to build long-term brand equity, especially in trusted local publications or niche industry magazines.

  • Use digital ads for time-sensitive promotions, event signups, or driving traffic to your website.

  • Coordinate your messaging across both platforms to reinforce brand recognition and increase touchpoints.

  • Consider interactive tools like QR codes in print ads to bridge offline and online engagement.

  • Measure results together, not separately—look at your total ROI across channels.

Final Thoughts

The notion that print is dead is not only outdated—it’s contradicted by science. As Assoc. Prof. Gokce’s peer-reviewed study shows, print still delivers unmatched value when it comes to engagement, memory, and trust. And when combined with the precision of digital, it becomes part of a smart, modern marketing strategy.

So before you cut print from your budget, consider this: your most effective ad campaign may not be print or digital—it may be both.

Reference:
 Gokce, Selman. Scientific Study Comparing Digital Advertising and Print Advertising. Current Science, Vol. 4, No. 8-5, 2022, pp. 559–576.