I was personally caught in three of these data breaches. Alarming emails resulted in annoying password changes and luckily nothing else. However, I no longer store my credit card in my apps and when possible, I use Google Pay or PayPal as my preferred method.

I then asked ChatGPT what people fear about digital marketing. These were some of the results.

These fears are now part of our collective human experience. They are also part of our collective consumer experience. This is where positioning print as a security device comes in to save the day – as well as marketing budgets and campaign results.

People Trust Print – a Credibility Story

Several years back I read an article about a man in NY who was trying to navigate the emerging cannabis market and secure his spot in it. Let’s call him Dan. Dan was dealing with piles of paperwork and the time-consuming government bureaucracy associated with his goal of securing a license to open a dispensary. The writer covered all of this, but first diverted a few paragraphs to the business card he received from Dan upon their first meeting.

The writer recalled immediately focusing all his attention on the business card handed to him. He wrote about it being extra thick, with embossed type and gold foil stamping around the edges. It was also printed on both sides. He said it was the nicest card he had ever received and looked very expensive. He asked Dan how much he paid for his cards. It was between $5-$8 each as I recall. He only printed a small number of cards that he needed immediately for the interview and a few meetings with banks and lawyers he during the week.

The writer, taken back by the cost needed to understand why Dan would spend so much money on a business card, so he inquired. Dan responded, “That card transforms me from a drug dealer into a businessman.”

Print has authority. Print provides credibility. Print cements reputation.

And print doesn’t contain viruses. It can’t be hacked. It is a trustworthy and a secure digital bridge. Enter QR codes. Or rather, the return of them.

Driven by the pandemic, QR codes take over the world. They provide a ‘touchless’ experience, and a secure digital bridge to online communications, information, menus, shopping, payments and everything else.  Voice-first technology also provides a secure digital bridge when prompts are shared through print. For example, I can ask Alexa/Google/Siri to donate to a charity by saying a specific phrase shared in the communication. This process requires some set-up with Amazon, Google and Apple and IT skills. It hasn’t been democratized yet, but it is coming and when it does there is no going back. In 2023, the sales opportunity for printers and marketers presents itself. Combine the rise of online scammers with the fear of consumers. Resolve that growing problem with the authority of print and by incorporating a secure digital bridge. Everyone understands this on a personal level now.

Print can capitalize on this moment and help businesses and brands create trust through their printed communications.

The future? That is the most exciting to me. The Metaverse is coming and the virtual B2B and B2C world needs the entirety of the print world to get their goods and materials into the physical space from the digital space… aka phygital.

There is so much to learn about phygital, about AI, and about new technologies that will disrupt and ignite our industry. These topics and more will be featured at the drupa DNA forum in Hall 7 from May 28 to June 7, 2024. I am honored to co-host this exciting programming with Frank Tueckmantel.

We would love to hear from you if you have something new to share with the world whether you are an established company or a start-up. Young entrepreneurs don’t be shy! Reach out to get your moment in the spotlight and take advantage of the global networking that happens in every corner of the Messe.

Until then… Print Long and Prosper!