As clinical trials become increasingly complex and personalized, we need to take a fresh look at how we engage with patients—and with the wider community. That engagement often begins offline: a poster in a physician’s office, a leaflet picked up (for themselves or a loved one) during a visit, or a brochure from an advocacy group. Once people return home, they frequently go online to learn more. And they don’t always go straight to the website listed on the recruitment materials. Therefore, a broad digital presence can be a vital component for success.
Sometimes the journey starts in reverse: an individual sees a digital advertisement, a forum post, or a website mention, and then reaches out to the clinical trial site directly. When that happens, printed materials still matter. Literature that mirrors the digital experience and continues to capture attention plays a critical role in reinforcing trust and clarity.
It’s not just smart to take a multi-pronged approach—it’s necessary.
Start with the Research Participant’s Experience
Recruitment and retention hinge on more than eligibility criteria and site selection. The materials potential or enrolled participants encounter, whether print or digital, shape their understanding, trust, expectations, and willingness to stay engaged.
Effective clinical study materials should do more than inform. They should anticipate:
- Where and how potential participants will encounter the study (e.g., digital channels, clinic settings, community events)
- What cognitive and logistical barriers may arise (e.g., medical jargon, scheduling complexity, mistrust)
- How to maintain engagement throughout the study
When considering these touchpoints in the design of print and digital assets, they become strategic tools, not just deliverables. Sponsors and CROs that invest in participant-centered materials see stronger enrollment, lower attrition, and improved compliance thanks to clearer communication throughout the study.
Clinical Trial Print: Tangible, Trusted, and Targeted
Print materials are especially effective in relationship-driven channels:
- Community-based outreach, where print provides a direct and trusted touchpoint
- Clinical settings, where a brochure can prompt conversation with a trusted health care provider
- Retention efforts, where physical materials like visit calendars or appointment reminders help participants understand and comply with study requirements, and stay organized and supported between visits
Let’s not underestimate the staying power of print. A well-designed flyer doesn’t just inform, it lingers. It can be shared, posted, or tucked into a purse or pocket for later reading.
Digital: Fast, Flexible, and Measurable
Clinical study digital assets offer both speed and scale, making them indispensable in modern clinical trial outreach. Ads and social media posts can be tailored to reach specific demographics quickly, whilst study websites provide space for detailed information and serve as effective pre-screening tools. Perhaps most importantly, digital platforms allow for real-time adjustments, such as:
- Refining messaging that isn’t resonating
- Shifting regional outreach targeting as needed
- Implementing protocol changes
“Digital strategy isn’t just about reach, it’s about responsiveness,” said Mike Lakey, a digital strategist at Imperial. “We can adjust course as needed mid-campaign to improve engagement, and once participants are enrolled, tools like appointment reminders and compliance support tools help keep them informed and on track between visits.”
Why the Blend is Essential
Some of the most successful studies we support use a hybrid approach. Print flyers drive initial interest, often using QR codes that link directly to digital tools such as study websites, prescreening surveys, or educational videos. Digital ads then reinforce messaging and provide additional touchpoints.
The key is consistency. When print and digital clinical study materials share a unified tone, look, and message, participants feel supported, and studies run more smoothly.
Tips for Study Teams
- Audit your materials: Are they participant-friendly? Do they reflect the study’s tone and goals?
- Think beyond recruitment: Retention materials matter just as much. Too often, retention is an afterthought.
- Plan for updates: Digital is easy to revise, but print needs foresight.
- Ask for feedback: Participants often reveal what’s working (and what’s not).
If you’re navigating recruitment or retention challenges, consider how your materials are working and whether they’re working together.
3 Questions to Ask Before Engaging a Print and Digital Clinical Trial Materials Vendor
Choosing the right partner for your study materials isn’t just about design. It’s about strategy, flexibility, and participant insight. Here are three questions sponsors and clinical study teams should ask before signing on with a vendor:
1. How do you tailor clinical study materials to different populations?
Tailoring isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about relevance. Effective study materials reflect the cultural, linguistic, and cognitive context of the intended audience. That means asking about literacy levels, cultural values, and preferred formats—not just protocol details.
A strong vendor will assess health literacy across target populations, adapt tone and format for different age groups or regions, and engage community advisors or patient advocates to validate messaging. Visual-first materials may resonate better with lower-literacy populations, while mobile-friendly formats can improve accessibility for younger demographics. And consistency across languages matters, but so does preserving nuance and emotional resonance.
“Designing for diversity isn’t just a creative challenge—it’s a responsibility,” said Vaughn Anthony, director of creative services and marketing at Imperial. “We tailor materials to reflect how people actually process information. That might mean simplifying language, shifting tone, or rethinking format entirely. We work to make sure the messaging feels authentic, not just translated.”
2. How do you handle updates and version control?
This is key! Study materials aren’t static. Protocol amendments, IRB feedback, and site-specific needs often require updates midstream. A strong vendor should offer a clear, documented process for version control, especially for digital assets that may be distributed across multiple platforms.
Ask how they:
- Track revisions and ensure sites are using the correct version
- Manage updates across formats (e.g., print, PDF, web, SMS)
- Prevent outdated materials from circulating post-amendment
- Coordinate translations and translation updates of amended text to ensure consistency across languages
- Provide audit trails or version logs for regulatory documentation
Version control isn’t just a technical detail—it’s a risk management strategy. Without it, outdated materials can lead to confusion, protocol deviations, or compliance issues. The right vendor will actively treat versioning as part of quality assurance, not an afterthought.
3. Do you offer strategic input or just execution?
You’re best served by a vendor that acts as a thought partner—not just an order taker for your print and digital clinical trial materials. The right team will flag potential issues, suggest improvements, and help you think through the study participant experience—not just deliver files.
Strategic input can take many forms: refining messaging to improve comprehension, anticipating regulatory feedback, or adapting materials to better fit site workflows. A proactive vendor will ask questions about the study goals, participant barriers, and the clinical trial site dynamics before jumping into production. They’ll also help you prioritize what matters most—whether it’s speed to site, clarity for participants, or consistency across formats.
“Execution alone isn’t enough,” said Dan McDonald, vice president of business development at Imperial. “We consider every step of the participant journey, starting with the first impression and ending with the final visit. The goal is to create materials that truly support engagement, retention, and compliance. That means asking hard questions and not just checking boxes.”
Continuity across digital and physical channels signals that extra care has gone into the campaign. It elevates the perceived importance of the clinical study and affirms the value of participation—for patients and their families alike.
Today, individuals increasingly approach health care with the mindset of consumers. To compete, we must not only capture their interest—we must impress them. And then continue to impress them with thoughtful communication and engagement before, during, and after the clinical study.
The Imperial Advantage
At Imperial, we don’t just produce materials—we help study teams think strategically about how those materials function in the real world. Whether it’s a flyer handed out at a health fair or a digital ad targeting a specific postal code, we create with purpose, precision, and participant experience in mind.
Our team brings deep expertise in both clinical operations and creative execution. We understand the regulatory nuances, the site-level realities, and the human factors that influence study recruitment and retention. We ask the right questions early—about literacy, culture, timing, and tone—so your materials resonate and connect.
If your study needs to reach the right participants, at the right time, with the right message, we’re ready to help you make that happen. We create print and digital clinical trial materials that work together strategically, efficiently, and flexibly to meet today’s clinical study demands. We’d love to help with your clinical studies. Click the Contact Us button or visit our website for more information.