Yes, we love the digital version…but there’s still a place in our hearts (and walls and desks) for printed calendars.
The days of printed calendars are far from over. In spite of the dire predictions by digital prognosticators, sales of paper calendars, appointment books, and planners are actually on the rise. A consumer research firm called NPD Group tracks these things. Their statistics show that sales of decorative calendars jumped by 8% in 2016.
There’s a simple answer for this continued growth—even if it seems contrary to the value we place on our digital devices. You can customize your printed desk calendar with doodles, Post-It notes, and even photos of your pet if you like. Try doing that with the digital calendar on your smartphone.
Information Overload
Printed calendars also help us escape the constant onslaught of digital alerts, beeps, and notifications. It’s possible to look down at your desktop—or up at your wall—and take in an entire week or month at a time. Calendars are supposed to help us plan the future, but it seems like the only thing most digital calendar apps do best is to confine our focus to what’s happening today.
Digital calendars tend to force you to conform to the way the app creators think you should plan. So much for individuality. Your printed desk calendar and pen provide an unlimited scope to personalize, and to create a planning system that actually works for you.
There’s also the physical element. The act of picking up a pen or pencil and writing—instead of tapping away on a glass screen—gets you thinking differently. And, who can argue over the satisfaction you get when you make a giant X through a calendar square that puts you one step closer to an upcoming vacation?
Highly Efficient Promotion Vehicles
Think about this: If you use a printed desk or wall calendar, you’re going to look at it at least once a day. Sure, the days of the week and what you’ve jotted down on each of them are what draws your attention. Professionals in service industries have long known—and utilized—the promotional power of printed calendars. Their value proposition gets repeated daily.
NDP Group’s research found that 82% of recipients said they enjoy getting a printed calendar as a gift. It’s an impressive statistic, but here’s one that’s even better. As much as 70% of those who receive a calendar say they plan to do business with the company that provided the calendar.
You’ve got the opportunity to put all the pertinent stuff right there for them. Your contact information and address. You can even print out the dates of annual sales events.
Even Better than Printed Calendars
So, set aside your plans to send condolences to the printed calendar. People still use them—a growing number, in fact—and they’re looking for ways to keep those desk calendars both protected and in place.
This provides you with an opportunity to get in on the promotional aspects of printed desk calendars. Let’s say you want to skip the time and expense of having a calendar featuring your business customized and printed.
Get in touch with us. We have a range of calendar-related products that give you the same promotional opportunity to keep your brand in front of people. The demand for printed calendars is definitely increasing. We’ve also seen an uptick of interest in the vinyl and plastic related products that can pair with calendars.
Busy people look at their calendars a lot. Calendar corners in custom colors with your brand message and logo are timely ways to keep your business top of mind. You’ll like the low cost of this highly effective marketing investment.
Want to Learn More?
Contact the Vinyl Art Team at 800-569-1304
Rob Slattery | Executive Sales Director | robs@vinylart.wpengine.com
Tim Hitchings | Vice President | timhitchings@vinylart.wpengine.com
