I was just reading about a report on the psychographics of Hispanic teens, one of the fastest growing demographic segments—projected to reach 62% of the entire teen market in 10 years. Among other things, they are described as extroverted, outspoken, wired, and defined by culture. The top three media consumed by Hispanic youth are 1) the Internet, 2) TV and 3) radio.
In light of the barrage of data on the decline of direct mail, I’ve done a lot of writing these days in the defense of print. But the psychographics of your customer or prospect base (such as Hispanic teens) may well determine which medium (or media) you use. That could mean greening your marketing program at the same time.
I’m never a fan of reducing your use of print simply for the sake of greening. After all, electronic media have their own carbon footprints, too. They are just hidden in energy use, disposal of used electronic equipment, and so on. Comparing the carbon footprints of the two can be very complicated.
However, I am a fan of not sending unnecessary print. If your customer or prospect group clearly prefers social networking or texting over print, then by all means, use those media instead.
This leads to the question: Do you know which media your customers and prospects prefer? If not, how can you find out?
- Psychographic profiles, such as the one listed above
- You can ask them (surveys, contact with CSRs)
- Observe past patterns (Have they contact you by email or through the Internet in the past? If so, then try email first before sending print).
As part of the greening of your print marketing, segment your customer base. Learn about those segments. Target them using the appropriate media, messages, and offers. Not only do you reduce the waste of unnecessary environmental resources, but you’ll increase the effectiveness of your marketing at the same time.
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