Attention is the most valuable currency in 2025, but it’s also harder than ever to earn.
AI and automation have resulted in a flood of content that is cheaper and faster to produce at scale. But in the race to automate, something critical gets lost—authenticity.
From factory lines of formulaic content to “personalized” marketing that’s as authentic as a robocall, the surge of AI-generated digital marketing content has resulted in a sea of sameness. And when every digital interaction feels like it came off the same AI production line, people stop paying attention.
In this new attention economy, businesses now have to prove they're worth listening to, trusting, and remembering.
This is why print is your secret weapon for winning attention in 2025.
Take brands like Nordstrom, J Crew, and Amazon, for instance.
They’ve returned to print because it offers a purposeful, thoughtful alternative to digital—one that signals quality and intent.
But let's be clear: print isn't for businesses looking to cut corners. That's actually one of print’s greatest strengths. Print shows that a business is willing to do more than automate to earn attention. It’s intentional, relevant, and trustworthy because the investment is higher.
For this reason, print is naturally free of the red flags from the spam and scams that have eroded trust online. When people receive a high-quality brochure or catalog, they know the brand behind it is real, authentic, and invested in earning their attention.
If your business is looking to get noticed by target audiences, this article is for you.
Keep reading to learn the real-world strategies and applications of modern print marketing, including:
- How to Use Print as an Attention Anchor
- Connecting Print and Digital: The Conversion You Can’t Afford to Miss
- Three Personalization Strategies for Print
How to Use Print as an Attention Anchor
Print creates what is known as an attention anchor.
A catalog, postcard, or mailer holds a place in your audience's physical space—a coffee table, a desk, a kitchen counter. It anchors your brand in the physical world and attracts attention repeatedly over days, weeks, or even months.
Here’s why this matters: these physical attention anchors return control to the consumer. They can take their time, return to it later, and engage when it's convenient.
Think about Amazon's Holiday Kids Gift Book and Holiday Book. The catalog is referenced when kids or parents have time to browse, then set aside, and then pick up again later at their leisure. This repeated exposure builds familiarity—and familiarity drives action.
But the real magic happens when print doesn't just sit on its own but plays an active role in leading people online.
By offering a physical catalog that customers can browse at their own pace, Amazon creates touchpoints that feel thoughtful and personal. The result? A stronger emotional connection to the brand and a direct bridge to online purchases.
Simply put, print helps your digital channels work harder by giving customers a reason to engage—and re-engage—on their own terms.
That brings us to one of the most overlooked aspects of print marketing: the transition from physical to digital.
Connecting Print and Digital: The Conversion You Can’t Afford to Miss
The transition from print to digital needs to feel natural, intentional, and rewarding.
A poorly executed connection—like a QR code leading to an irrelevant homepage—breaks the trust you’ve just worked hard to build.
Nail this step, and you’re not just connecting offline and online—you’re creating a seamless, trust-driven experience that audiences crave.
Here's how to maximize the connection between print and digital.
Use QR Codes to Continue the Conversation
A well-planned print campaign doesn’t end on someone’s desk or coffee table. It should lead seamlessly to your online environment. For example, if a direct mail campaign teases a new product launch, the QR code should go straight to that product’s page—not a generic homepage that leaves people confused.
Use Dynamic QR Codes to Stay Relevant
The beauty of print is its longevity, but that also means the print marketing collateral might still be in circulation months after launch. With dynamic QR codes, you can update the linked content over time, extending the relevance of print materials long after the initial send. For instance, a catalog from six months ago can still drive results if its QR codes deliver fresh promotions or updated product information. That means your print piece can stay relevant for months without reprinting.
Track Everything
QR codes and personalized URLs can be customer data goldmines. Gather as much information as possible after a customer scans or clicks to gain valuable insights into what’s working and where to refine your campaigns further.
Further, this data is extremely valuable for personalized print marketing, which brings us to our next point: how to personalize print marketing.
Three Personalization Strategies for Print
As mentioned in our 2024 print marketing trends article, personalized marketing has been one of the top marketing trends for years, and it still prevails in 2025. In Hubspot’s 2024 State of Marketing Report, the highest percentage of marketers ever (94% of marketers, to be exact) said personalized marketing boosted sales for their business.
Though AI makes it easy to create “personalized” digital content at scale, print offers a unique opportunity to personalize content in a way that is authentically human (and people will actually respond to).
The best part? Personalized print campaigns at scale are easier than most people realize.
Here are three personalization strategies and resources to help you harness the power of personalized print.
Variable Data Printing for Loyalty-Building with Current Customers
Personalized print marketing is powered by a digital printing technology called variable data printing. Variable data printing allows you to change the content from one printed piece to the next without slowing down the printing process. Nearly any part of a printed piece can be personalized with names, images, headlines, offers, CTAs, texts, and colors to resonate with individual recipients.
Broad Personalization for Lead Generation
When targeting new prospects, personalized print campaigns operate on a broader scale since first-party data (which is usually collected from previous interactions with your business) may not be available. Don’t worry, even without individual customer data, you can still leverage the power of personalized print by segmenting target audiences into distinct groups, such as neighborhoods or regions.
Learn more about using personalized print marketing for lead gen here.
Marketing Portals to Scale Personalization Across Teams
Managing personalized print campaigns across multiple departments or markets can be challenging, especially for larger organizations. A marketing portal solves this by centralizing your templates, designs, and assets in one place. Teams across departments or regions can then customize print materials quickly without compromising brand consistency.
Partnering with the Right Printer for Success
The success of your print marketing campaigns depends as much on your partner as on your strategy.
Executing a modern print campaign isn’t something you can leave to traditional print shops. It requires expertise that spans both the print and digital sides of marketing.
At Artisan Colour, we specialize in modern digital printing solutions that ensure every touchpoint strengthens your brand, builds trust, and engages target audiences.
- Print Services: Marketing collateral, catalogs, branded packaging, vehicle wraps, personalized printing, and specialty printing.
- Signage and Branding: Business signage, wall and window graphics, indoor and outdoor banners, trade shows and events, retail displays, and wall wraps.
- Direct Mail Marketing: Direct mail campaigns, personalized direct mail, mailing lists, Informed Delivery, and integrated solutions.
- Marketing Fulfillment: Web-to-print, warehousing and storage, inventory management, kitting and assembly, and promotional products.
- Color Management: Prepress, premedia, online image libraries, photography, graphic design, image retouching, and color management.
- Digital Marketing: Digital marketing strategy, graphic design, website design, content marketing, SEO, social media, software integrations, and Hubspot ecosystem management.
Request a complimentary sample today so we can show what Artisan Colour can do for your business.
