Reports on Innovations and Best Practice

To Print or Not to Print: An Investigation of Print Marketing Preference and Use in the Campus Community

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Abstract

Th e current trend of increasing return on investment by phasing out print marketing campaigns in favor of digital and social media-based marketing may not be appropriate for all campus communities or stakeholders. Th e authors investigated the communication preferences of students, faculty, and staff at a diverse, public university. In addition, they surveyed the primary use and eff ectiveness of a printed schedule. Th eir fi ndings indicate that most students use the printed Summer Term schedule to check the session calendar, dates, deadlines, and policies. Th ey also compared printed schedule use among new and returning students. In stark contrast to the students surveyed, faculty and staff were found to use the printed schedule to obtain general campus information. Th e printed schedule, both mailed directly and available for pick-up on campus, was preferred as a method of communication at a level on par with social media. While these fi ndings may not be generalizable to all summer term programs, they indicate that the conversation regarding print marketing is perhaps one that should be revisited.

Keywords: print marketing, direct mail marketing, new and returning students, faculty and staff, marketing preference, marketing eff ectiveness

How to Cite:

Leif, S. & Head, D., (2022) “To Print or Not to Print: An Investigation of Print Marketing Preference and Use in the Campus Community”, Summer Academe: A Journal of Higher Education 15. doi: https://doi.org/10.25894/sa.128