It’s not as easy to find a printing service in Washington DC as it was a few years ago, thanks to the wave called digital transformation. It has taken over every aspect of our lives, especially marketing and running of a business.
A business owner would prefer creating a mailing list, a website, and a social media account to printing brochures and business cards. While there is a place still for printed business cards or printing a booklet to give customers, the digital age has impacted how some questions the demand for printed marketing materials. It is clear digital transformation has had a huge impact on the business world. Marketers often look for more convenient and better ways of relaying their information.
Does that mean we won’t be seeing business cards anymore? Let’s find out.
What is Digital Transformation?
As you may have noticed, the whole world is turning digital, with every easily connected to everything. Digital transformation, or DT/DX, is integrating innovative technologies into the business. The move from analog to digital methods and processes or business, as well as cultural shifts, changes how a company operates.
Digital transformation seeks to:
- Influence customer decision-making. DT is all about the customers. Businesses seek to create a more conducive and convenient atmosphere for their customers to access the main services. For instance, more digital methods have significantly reduced the use of cash during transactions.
- Digitalization is a holistic change. The shift from office documents to computer storage to cloud storage today allows for easier access and sharing of files between employees. It is not just the simple substitution of office tools with digital ones but a more detailed shift in both technology and how people understand different levels of technology.
- Capitalize marketing budgets. Marketing can be quite expensive, especially for smaller businesses. Digital transformation can significantly reduce these costs through the use of targeted DT marketing materials. Why print material when you can simply share through email?
In short, digital transformation is completely overwhelming and overtaking traditional business methods. The marketing industry is the most influenced as digital methods are easier to use and reach more people in a short time.
What Does This Mean For Business Cards?
With such a transformation and everyone looking for convenience, it’s easy to assume that we won’t be seeing much of business cards anymore. On the one hand, there is some truth in this, but on the other hand, nothing beats physical thank-you cards for business.
It takes a lot of time to visit a stationary store in DC to buy such a card. The effort alone is enough to tell the recipient how personalized the card is and how much you care.
There is also still a huge market for luxury business cards. Some people, especially baby boomers, still care about the value of business cards.
So, while digital transformation has significantly reduced the need for business cards, it has not yet completely eliminated it. All signs may indicate the end of such marketing methods, but there is still huge value in printed marketing – it’s not going away any time soon, or down without a fight.
