With so much of the current marketing being digital, it’s the best time to try physical marketing to break through the clutter. If your ultimate goal is to get consumers to stop what they are doing to explore your brand, print is the best way to stand out against your competition. Keep exploring the best print marketing trends to try in 2026 to help your campaigns become more effective, gain loyal customers and more.
Smart personalization is using consumer statistics and past purchasing trends to inform your messaging and leads to greater success.
Just like with digital marketing, you don’t want to send out your messaging to everyone—only the consumers who will gain the most from your product or service offering. Print advertisements are especially effective when they are sent out locally, but smart personalization and targeted ads let you further diversify your audience.
One of the best ways to do this is to look at ZIP codes and specific areas of your city. Automotive shops might locate consumers within a 15-mile radius. Certain grocery stores might have locations in wealthier areas or where consumers might appreciate deeper discounts. Depending on the audience, you can arrange your messaging to match. Oftentimes, differentiating to match your target audience can make your marketing perform even better.
AI is one of the biggest trends that’s only going to keep going upward in 2026 and the coming years. With AI, companies are able to gain insights and statistics that better inform how they create messaging and advertising in the future.
With AI insights and other reports pulled, customer information and spending habits can be utilized in the creation of future campaigns. AI makes it easier to determine when messages should be sent, who they should be sent to, how they are created and what combinations work best for a specific customer set. This shift into knowledgeable marketing helps brands enhance awareness and get bigger wins in their campaigns.
Related Content: Using the Power of AI in Print Advertising
Both print marketing and digital advertising are phenomenal options for enhancing brand awareness and getting a greater return on investment, but no channel is “better” than the other. Instead of comparing the two options and seeing which of the two works best, the most rewarding route is to combine the marketing strategies and let them work together. One of the best ways to bridge the gap between print and digital is to utilize QR codes in your campaigns.
QR codes act as the bridge between physical mail and digital because they connect both sources. Print and digital marketing work hand in hand because physical mail introduces the brand and leaves a lasting impression, while the QR code connects to digital marketing through a landing page, solidifies the brand and helps consumers see it as a credible, well-rounded source.
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While small volume orders are necessary from time to time, the real game-changer is in high-volume prints for the greatest savings—and even better results. Higher volumes ensure your campaigns reach a larger audience and you can often get an even higher return on investment. However, the biggest benefit is the discounts you get with bulk purchases.
Bulk purchases allow you to save even more money in every facet of the print marketing process. The fixed setup cost goes down as the number of prints goes up and the per-unit cost decreases because purchasing materials in bulk is cheaper. If you’re hoping to save on your next campaign, contact our team at Signature Graphics to see what kind of offers are available.
While digital marketing is often seen as the eco-friendly alternative to physical mail, the truth is that digital footprints that arise from data centers are just as significant. There’s no “right” decision between the channels, but it is important to ensure efficiency is prioritized. The best, most eco-friendly campaigns are going to be the ones that get the point across faster and more effectively.
Sustainability probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about physical mail, but it’s one of the most efficient ways to deliver a message. Especially when you compare the reality of digital versus print. While digital marketing uses fewer tangible materials, the e-waste that comes from the process is on par with physical marketing. As such, some of the best companies are finding ways to reduce their impact on the environment—and the best route forward is utilizing both digital and physical channels for the most accurate results.
For example, at Signature Graphics, we recycle 1,100 tons of waste paper every year to repurpose it towards future products. To minimize the amount of paper waste and e-waste, we encourage our clients to combine digital and print marketing for their most effective campaigns. We also use SFI-certified suppliers and partners who plant trees to balance out our paper usage and invest in climate change.
The answer to the sustainability initiative is utilizing both processes for your most effective ROI. Combining methods ensures that each marketing step you take amplifies your results, so you need fewer marketing efforts to reach the same level of success.
If you’re not using a company that values sustainability, now is the time to start. With future generations dependent on the world, it’s important
Related Content: Sustainability in Print Marketing vs. Digital Marketing
Direct mail campaigns are an easy win for lead nurturing and are a huge trend in 2026 because of how effective they are. The idea is that companies that use direct mail can re-engage cold leads, warm up future prospects and amplify consumer conversions with the right approach.
Some of the best direct mail campaigns are sent in tandem with digital marketing campaigns and work as the final “close” in a sale—especially when direct mail is paired with first-time-customer coupons and other intro promotions. These physical campaigns exude trust and give prospects a gentle nudge over the edge if they were already considering your brand.
Related Content: How to Create Effective Direct Mail Ads with Kobalt Design
Elevating messaging with premium and durable print finishes is a good way to make your marketing stand out. A big trend in 2026 is using more premium materials, like durable stock paper and glossy coatings. Both of these can instantly amplify messaging and differentiate from other mail being sent out.
Other options for more premium mail include:
Techniques that elevate your message make it even more noticeable in a mailbox and can also add credibility and memorability to your marketing.
Multisensory marketing is getting increasingly more popular in 2026. According to WGSN, a study on Chinese consumers found that sensory cues impact brand attachment and customer satisfaction. Using sensory branding, new textures and neuromarketing techniques amplifies a marketing message by making it more memorable and meaningful.
Some of the best ways to use sensory branding and multisensory marketing include:
Utilizing processes that involve multiple senses amplifies consumer emotion and creates a stronger connection with the marketing materials.
Related Content: How Color and Emotions Work for Marketing
With these top 10 print marketing trends to try in 2026, you can amplify brand awareness, increase ROI and see greater success in your marketing campaigns. Ready to get started on your best print marketing strategy yet? Our team at Signature Graphics can help you design, print, finish and deliver your mail.
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