The Hefty Communication

How Weight Influences Perception and Engagement in Communication

In the world of advertising, the debate between traditional and digital media has become almost as enduring as the mediums themselves. While digital platforms increasingly dominate the contemporary landscape, many industry veterans still swear by the effectiveness of print ads, direct mailers, and other tangible forms of communication. Their reasoning might not simply be nostalgia or a Neo-Luddite behaviour —it could hinge on something more substantial: the weight of the medium itself.

I remember as a child, my mother used to judge the quality and perceived usefulness of kitchenware—typically stainless steel—often by its weight. The same held true for furniture or household items; heavier meant better. Even plumper children were once considered "healthier." Seen through a different lens, the concept of weight as a proxy for value shows up in the metaphor “penny wise, pound foolish.” Beyond the monetary difference, the heavier, metal coins symbolised tangible wealth, reinforcing the idea that more weight equals more value. Interestingly, when faced with the choice between using a coin or a paper note of the same value, people often prefer to keep the coin and spend the lighter paper money—a subtle psychological tilt towards associating weight with value.

When we shift the physical weight to communication, phrases like "written in stone" or "carved in stone" evoke ideas of permanence, importance, and reliability. This isn’t coincidental. From the Ten Commandments etched into stone tablets to ancient scrolls written on palm leaves in India or papyrus in Egypt, physicality has always amplified the significance of communication. These weren't lightweight messages; they carried not just information but gravitas, a sense of importance that transcended the words themselves. Consider the stone and iron edicts of Emperor Ashoka—these messages survived through the ages not just because of their content but because of the weighty, enduring medium in which they were embedded.

This relationship between weight and value taps into something deeper: the human tendency to associate heaviness with seriousness, importance, and trustworthiness. And it’s not limited to historical artefacts. Modern science offers fascinating insights into this phenomenon.

In a study by Joshua Ackerman and Christopher Nocera, participants were asked to review job candidates’ résumés while holding clipboards of varying weights. Those holding the heavier clipboards judged the candidates more seriously than those with lighter clipboards. The mere act of holding something physically heavier influenced how seriously participants evaluated the information they were reviewing. 

This "weight effect" extends beyond job evaluations into our everyday lives. If holding a heavy object can alter the perceived importance of a résumé, what does it say about the weight of messages we receive in print versus those we encounter on a screen? 

For advertisers and brands, this insight offers an intriguing angle to explore. In an era where digital communication is fast, fluid, and often fleeting, there’s something to be said for the physicality of print. A direct mailer that lands in your mailbox carries weight—literally and metaphorically. You hold it in your hands, feel its texture, and its very presence demands your attention in a way a fleeting email or digital banner might not. This might explain why certain forms of traditional advertising, such as print ads and direct mailers, continue to show higher levels of engagement compared to their digital counterparts. In his book, Brand Sense, Martin Lindstorm places ‘touch’ (and the implied effect of weight) high above sound and sight in terms of value vs. bonding.

As brands rush to embrace the digital age, they mustn’t overlook the power of the tangible. The next time you plan a campaign, consider how weight—both literal and symbolic—might enhance your message. Incorporating print media or a well-crafted direct mailer into your marketing strategy can offer your audience a sense of permanence and seriousness, tied to deep-rooted human experiences with weighty, tangible communication. I’ve suggested this approach to a few MSMEs I mentor, advising them to include handwritten cards with their products—purchased through platforms like Flipkart and Amazon—and they’ve reported better responses compared to WhatsApp messages they were doing earlier.

Because, as they say, even when printed on paper and not gold... some things are worth their weight.