“Print is dead.”
It’s one of those marketing statements that gets thrown around as if it’s fact. Usually by someone who’s all-in on digital and measuring everything in clicks.
Recently I was handed copies of Great British Staycations magazine after organising a feature for one of my clients. A proper, glossy, good old-fashioned magazine feature.
And no, it wasn’t just for vanity. Because print on its own? That can be hard to measure. Print with strategy behind it? That’s a different story.
The Problem With “Dead” Marketing Channels
Most marketing channels aren’t dead. They’re just being used in isolation.
If you take out a magazine feature and hope people will magically remember your brand and Google you later, you’re relying on chance. There’s no journey. No continuation. No data.
That’s where most traditional marketing falls down. The issue isn’t print. It’s the lack of a funnel behind it.
How We Made Print Measurable
For this campaign, we built a simple but intentional funnel behind the feature.
In the magazine, readers are offered a 10% discount code when they scan a QR code.
That QR code doesn’t just dump them onto a homepage. It takes them to a dedicated landing page inviting them to join the mailing list in exchange for the discount. They can browse if they like, but the primary action is clear – sign up. Once they join, the discount code is automatically delivered via email.
Now we’ve done two important things:
First, we’ve captured the data.
Second, we’ve created permission to continue the conversation.
That subscriber then moves into a weekly email sequence. For this particular client, around 15% of subscribers go on to book a stay.
That’s not “print awareness”. That’s measurable revenue from a print-led entry point.
What This Actually Means
The magazine feature did three things:
- Put the brand in front of a warm audience already looking for UK staycations.
- Positioned the business as credible and established.
- Acted as the top-of-funnel awareness driver.
The QR code and email marketing did the rest. Without the digital layer, we would have exposure but no data.
Without the print feature, we wouldn’t have accessed that audience in the first place.
It’s not print versus digital. It’s print feeding digital.
The Unmeasured Benefits Still Matter
Even with tracking in place, not everything is measurable.
- There is brand positioning that comes with being featured in a respected publication.
- There is subconscious familiarity built when someone sees you in a magazine they trust.
- There is PR value that strengthens your overall presence.
Not everything valuable shows up neatly in Google Analytics. That doesn’t mean it has no impact.
So… Is Print Dead?
If you treat it as a standalone tactic with no follow-up and no journey? It probably won’t work very hard for you.
If you integrate it into a wider marketing system that captures attention, nurtures interest and converts over time? It absolutely has a place.
This applies beyond magazines. Think events. Networking. Direct mail. Speaking opportunities. Even referrals. Any awareness activity becomes far more powerful when you build a mechanism to continue the relationship afterwards.
The Bigger Lesson for Business Owners
If you’re a service business owner with no marketing department, this is the key takeaway:
- Stop asking, “Is this channel dead?”
- Start asking, “What happens next?”
Marketing works best when it’s layered. Awareness leads to capture. Capture leads to nurture. Nurture leads to conversion.
It’s rarely one touchpoint that drives revenue. It’s the journey.
And sometimes, that journey starts with a QR code in a magazine.
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