The Benefits Of Branded Diaries
It may seem counterintuitive in today’s fast-paced digitised world, but paper diaries, planners and journals are as popular as they have ever been.
So, why are old-school pen and paper still so prevalent? We review the surprising benefits of writing things down by hand.
Key Facts
- Writing things down is more effective than typing when it comes to memory retention and recall
- Handwriting promotes deep thinking and concentration
- Promotional calendars and diaries generate over 850 impressions in their lifetime
Memory and Focus
There is a plethora of research to support the positive effects of physical handwriting on memory retention.
The physical act of writing triggers your brain to focus and remember much more than when you type.
Motivation and Productivity
Writing down thoughts helps to clarify and distil them. Evidence shows that writing to-do lists helps us to be more positive, motivated and accountable about completing our daily tasks. This helps us to achieve our personal and professional goals more easily.
For maximum productivity and efficiency, consider using a coding system similar to the Bullet Journal’s Rapid Logging style.
Less Distraction
Digital devices provide too many opportunities for distraction, while handwriting promotes deeper thinking and concentration.
With the constant popups and buzzing competing for our attention, many of us have become desensitised to reminders.
It’s also very easy to go down a rabbit hole of memes from just one push notification.
Unplugging
With work-from-home structures remaining in place after the pandemic lockdowns, combined with the already overwhelming digital world, many employees have experienced digital overload.
This has resulted in a global resurgence of paper diaries, journals, notepads and printed books, as people return to traditional media in a bid to decompress and unplug.
This debate will undoubtedly continue for years to come, so the important thing to remember is that paper diaries and planners are not obsolete. In fact, they are still highly useful and valuable marketing tools with 365-day ROI.
If you’re on the fence about branded diaries this year, we think it’s a smart move.
*Originally written in Sept 2022, updated in Sept 2024.