Print media is stronger than ever. A statement that might leave you with doubt, especially if you’ve seen all the hullabaloo on why it’s a dying marketing tool, but we’ve arrived in the nick of time to reassure you that print media isn’t going anywhere any time soon. So stick around and we’ll cure you of all these nasty misconceptions.

BUT DIDN’T WE SEE PRINT MEDIA SNEEZE?

Many people have gone out of their way to show you signs and symptoms of print media’s inevitable death. The cynics say things like:

“The ads are only relevant to a small amount of people who have an interest or ability to buy that particular product.”- King Fish Media.

“People no longer need to purchase a newspaper or magazine, they can simply get the info they need directly from their phone, tablet, or laptop. This development has caused print media to become obsolete to some extent and there aren’t any signs that the situation will improve.” – Insider Monkey.

WHAT THE INDUSTRY LEADERS HAVE TO SAY

Olivier Royant, editor-in-chief of Paris Match says there is still power in print. “Magazines all over the world, including ourselves, have to adapt to a digital world. But it’s an exciting challenge to reinvent ourselves and to be able to explore new ways of extending the brand beyond print in a media environment that’s changing by the day,” she said at the Media24 Summit.

Amit Tiwari, director of marketing, Indian Subcontinent-brand, communication and digital for Philips India, said when he was asked what he would say to anyone that asked him if print is dead: “The death of print media that we keep hearing about is vastly exaggerated. There is a reason why top e-commerce brands take out front-page ads in newspapers before they go live with their mega sales. Print helps these online retailers to generate the much needed traction. Likewise, retailers use print media to attract more footfalls.”

Print media is here to stay because:

1. Reading print is easier on our eyes due to the contrast of ink and paper,
2. Reading in a digital format may be more convenient for on-the-go reading, but reading from print is more tactical. Andrew Piper a European literature lecturer at McGill University wrote in Slate, “the touch of the page brings us into the world, while the screen keeps us out.” There is no reality, no experience. Nothing to ground you in that moment, making it harder to retain what you are reading. Print is a culture. Print is an experience.
3. Print is more credible than digital because there is so much information readily available and given the nature of user-generated content online it’s harder to track the source of information. All print publications are credible, but not all digital platforms.

WHAT WILL KILL ADVERTISERS?

Print advertisers must not be afraid of digital marketing. They have been in the print industry for so long that digital might be taboo for them, but print media and digital must co-exist in order for the printing industry to stay relevant. According to Hubcast a cloud-printing company, “Marketers should look to develop a print-digital hybrid approach to their plan for content production.” At HomemakersFair we have a firm belief that digital and print media can support each other, which is why we distribute our print magazines to different provinces and offer them online as well, so your audience can choose to interact with our publications however they feel most comfortable.

Image Credit: Custodian Consultancy

Find more business tips on our brand new Business To Business website.