By Sander Sondaal, Director Commercial Print Sales, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe
The connection print creates for all generations, including Gen Z, has captured the attention of luxury beauty brands.
BeautyMatter has shared how Refy, Loewe, and Jacquemus are rediscovering the tactile charm, aesthetic appeal, and lasting impact of print – from curated magazines and branded newspapers to personalised postcards.
Described as a nostalgia driven movement and a strategic marketing pivot print for Gen Z, print provides a fresh, novel and different mental experience. Unlike digital consumption, the medium is tangible, collectible, and permanent.
For Gen Z and Millennials reading something physical, such as a coffee table book or an indie newspaper, feels alternative and intellectual. While, with older Millennials, print evokes an emotional connection through childhood memories of becoming engrossed in glossy magazines or having newspapers delivered daily.
Printed visuals in luxury beauty elevate a product and enable brands to share their story more deeply. They drive engagement, create buzz, and deliver tangible value to consumers. They cut through the oversaturation of digital content.
Attractive for brands is the:
Exclusivity of print that encourages consumer trust and engagement. A global Two Sides survey found 46% of respondents were more likely to take an action after seeing an advertisement in a printed newspaper or magazine than they would if they saw the same ad online.
Ability for physical print campaigns to feature trackable elements such as QR codes, exclusive promo codes, or limited time offers. These can drive traffic online for an omnichannel approach and create digital amplification of print campaigns, ensuring longevity.
Powerful ROI direct mail generates – JICMAIL’s Response Rate Tracker for 2024, found that the average warm (active customer list) direct mail campaign has a response rate of 7.9%. This compares to an average click through rate for emails of just 1% and around 3% for text-based ads on search engines like Google and Bing.
Ability to answer a growing appetite for slower, more thoughtful experiences. The tendency to consume information from printed leaflets, unaddressed mail as well as direct advertising mail is higher (56%) than marketing emails (49%).
Engagement of digital weary consumers. A study of American marketing managers by RRD, the international marketing, packaging, print, and supply chain solutions provider, found that 94% were using print marketing ‘to overcome digital fatigue’. While the publishers of i-D, VICE and The Onion are reconnecting with the power of print with regular print issues in 2025. There are also exclusive small printrun magazines, often published as quarterly titles, popping up across Europe such as Austrian collectable luxury magazine Aurum 999.9.
Tactility of print that creates the endowment effect, by subconsciously increasing the perceived value of the brand and its products in the eyes of customers, as detailed by Sappi. People also value something they can both touch and see 24% more highly than something they can only see.
Flawless, colour rich, luxurious print connects with every generation to provide a meaningful and engaging experience that fosters trust and loyalty.
www.ricoh-europe.com
