By Joanne Gore, president and chief strategist, Joanne Gore Communications

As marketers strive to cut through digital clutter, print finishing providers and suppliers have found themselves uniquely positioned at the intersection of creativity and technology. Digital embellishments are transforming the world of print, opening new opportunities for marketers, brands and, most importantly, the providers who bring these stunning visual experiences to life. For FSEA members, mastering the art of marketing these embellishments effectively can become a powerful differentiator, driving profitability and customer loyalty.

Capturing Attention in a Crowded Market

In today’s crowded marketing landscape, capturing and keeping consumer attention is crucial. Print, with its tactile, tangible qualities, continues to stand out. According to Keypoint Intelligence ¹, print marketing still holds significant influence, with 82% of consumers trusting print ads when making purchase decisions. But with digital marketing’s pervasive reach, how can print maintain and even grow its relevance? The answer lies in digital embellishments.

Why Digital Embellishments?

Digital embellishments – such as foil stamping, embossing, spot UV coatings and holographic effects – aren’t new to the print industry. However, up until recently, achieving these effects often involved significant set-up costs, longer production times and limited flexibility, making them inaccessible or impractical for short-run or customized print jobs.

Today’s advancements in digital embellishment technology have changed the game. Modern embellishments make it affordable and practical to produce intricate designs, even in smaller quantities. These enhancements elevate ordinary ink-on-paper prints, creating memorable tactile experiences that consumers find irresistible.

Understanding the Value: Profitability and Differentiation

Research from Taktiful ² highlights that 90% of print providers that invested in digital embellishment technology express optimism about their business’s future. The reason is simple – embellishments boost profitability through higher margins and differentiate print providers from competitors. By creating premium finishes, providers not only offer visually appealing products but also attract higher-value projects, often commanding premium pricing.

The challenge many providers face is effectively communicating this value proposition to potential clients, instead relying on the value props that resonate with themselves. Let’s dive into some proven strategies that can be leveraged to market digital embellishments and amplify their impact.

10 Strategies to Market and Sell Digital Embellishments

1. Encourage Print Petting
Embellishments inherently are tactile, so providing sample kits enables prospects to physically experience the work firsthand. Allowing them to touch and interact with metallic foils, raised textures and holographic elements encourages “print petting” – a subconscious interaction that not only enhances the likelihood of purchase, but also embeds the associated brand into memory. Help buyers recognize the potential impact that the power of touch has on their own brands.

2. Emphasize Customization and Versatility
Digital embellishments offer versatility across multiple substrates, from paper and cardstock to plastic and metalized films. Emphasize the ability to customize solutions tailored to specific client needs, highlighting how embellishments can enhance branding, differentiate products and improve shelf appeal.

3. Promote Sustainability
Sustainability remains a powerful decision-making factor. According to Gartner ³, 73% of marketers report that sustainability initiatives have become critical to their brand strategies. Digital embellishments can support sustainable marketing through eco-friendly inks, recyclable substrates and streamlined production processes, eliminating the waste commonly associated with traditional methods.

Position services as not only visually striking but also environmentally responsible. Highlight options like digital foils or recyclable materials and demonstrate how the embellishment processes align with the clients’ sustainability goals.

4. Leverage Online Presence and Digital Portfolios
Although a company specializes in physical print, its digital presence matters. A lot. Websites should showcase a comprehensive digital portfolio highlighting successful projects as well as “behind the scenes” footage of how the experience was brought to life. Show off the company’s work at every opportunity, with vivid imagery, client testimonials and sample options.

5. Bundle Embellishments with Additional Services
Position oneself as an essential strategic partner by bundling embellishments with design, printing, finishing and fulfillment, and providing comprehensive solutions that streamline procurement processes for clients. Then communicate with the audience how this will help them most, and move the relationship out of the “supplier” zone and into the “partner” zone.

6. Educate Clients
Most buyers have no idea of the capabilities and benefits of digital embellishments. Offering educational content through webinars, workshops and informative articles positions businesses as thought leaders. Highlighting industry-specific applications – such as embellished packaging for luxury brands or tactile labels for health and wellness products – helps clients visualize the practical advantages. Open houses are great ways to show off the company’s capabilities – and the unforgettable power of embellished print.

7. Create Interactive Experiences
Interactive print technologies such as QR codes, augmented reality (AR) and NFC (Near Field Communication) tags enhance the already powerful impact of embellishments. These interactive elements enable brands to bridge the gap between physical prints and digital marketing, delivering enhanced value and measurable engagement. Don’t be shy; encourage customers to get phygital [term combining the words physical and digital].

8. Highlight Accessibility and Universal Design
Globally, over 2.2 billion people have vision impairments, with annual productivity losses estimated at $411 billion ⁴. Emphasizing accessibility through digital embellishments – like raised textures, tactile symbols or braille – offers tremendous value. Brands can demonstrate inclusivity by helping visually impaired or mobility-challenged consumers engage safely and meaningfully with products, expanding market reach and positively impacting brand perception.

9. Focus on Emotional and Haptic Memory
Sensory experiences drive strong brand recall. Digital embellishments such as embossing, debossing, textured finishes and metallic foils stimulate haptic memory, which significantly enhances recall. Highlighting this benefit when engaging with clients can underscore embellishment offerings as powerful marketing tools.

10. Collaborate with Industry Influencers and Partners
Partnering with respected industry influencers, designers and strategic partners can significantly enhance market reach. Jointly promote embellished projects through webinars, case studies and social media collaborations. Influencer endorsements provide credibility and boost marketing efforts, showcasing the provider’s capabilities to a broader, targeted audience.

Implementing Digital Embellishments: Real-World Examples

There’s no shortage of industries benefiting from embellished print. Here are just a few examples:

• Luxury packaging: Metallic foils and textures position products as premium, justifying higher price points and reinforcing luxury branding.
• Health and wellness brands: Raised textures and braille enable visually impaired consumers to safely identify and interact with products, thereby expanding market accessibility and inclusivity.
• Food and beverage brands: Embellished labels and packaging elevate product presentation, enhance shelf appeal and differentiate offerings in highly competitive markets, ultimately driving consumer interest and sales.
  

Tackling Common Objections

When marketing embellishments, providers often face concerns about cost, complexity and integration into existing workflows. Cost concerns typically come up because of assumptions about traditional embellishments, which involve substantial upfront investments. Address this by emphasizing digital embellishments’ reduced set-up costs, flexibility and scalability for small and customized runs.

Ease the customer’s mind by clearly communicating the provider’s production capabilities, timelines and ease of integration with existing print processes. Offer educational resources, use cases and demonstrations that clearly illustrate how embellished print enhances marketing strategies, increases sales, improves customer engagement and heightens brand recall.

Conclusion: A Future-Ready Approach

Digital embellishments represent more than just a technology trend – they’re transforming the way consumers experience print. As an FSEA member and reader of PostPress, embracing these advancements positions businesses as innovative industry leaders, creating immersive, memorable experiences that translate to deeper brand connections, increased profitability and sustained growth.

Embrace these strategies to amplify the impact, captivate audiences and ensure businesses thrive in the future of print. 

Joanne Gore is a powerhouse marketer on a mission to help the print industry sell more print. As the president and chief strategist of Joanne Gore Communications, she leads a global team specializing in B2B marketing strategies that drive awareness, engagement and growth. Contact her at www.joannegorecommunications.com.

Resources:

1. Keypoint Intelligence, Fairfield, New Jersey, www.keypointintelligence.com   
2. Taktiful, Melbourne, Florida, www.taktiful.com
3. Gartner, Stamford, Connecticut, www.gartner.com
4. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.who.int