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Why Print is Still Important?

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Print is a big industry but one that has been feeling rather under threat for a while now. Of course, digital products have taken a big chunk out of print’s market share but it still has a place and possibly more of a place post 2021 than for some years before. But why is it still important?

Decline

Before we look at why print still has a place in the design, content and the marketing world it is worth looking at some of the history.

There was a time, not so long ago, where print ruled the world. Even with the advent of TV, newspapers still formed a massive part of how we consumed news and other content as well as where we saw adverts and created opinions. Magazines like Vogue carried enormous amounts of power to change our buying habits, build brands and chance the face of fashion. Music magazines could make or break a new artist and for any kind of consumer product or service print was the advertising platform to go for. TV certainly brought the first big challenge to print but due to a lack of portability people still took print media to consume on the move.

Then came the internet, but even then, print still had clout. Early internet use was all about sitting at a desktop computer and it was a pretty slow experience. It was the arrival of smart phones that really put the pressure on print. For the first time we could consume video and written content on the go and in very high quality. The speeds increased so the news could be fed to us almost live and digital content creation became the way to reach people.

Print started to suffer and has done ever since. However, its decline has also signalled some changes in what we use it for and how we feel about it and this is where it may yet have a use.

Digital Blindness

There is some irony in writing about this on a website but we are bombarded with digital content of every kind. Be it video, social posts, images, adverts or even digital radio we can’t escape. So, to some extend we have to learn to filter and in some cases ignore the digital barrage. Print can play a very interesting role in breaking through and getting a message across. A printed brochure for example may hit home with potential customers far more than a PDF version or a display advert. While print isn’t as easy to distribute, when targeted well it still has the power to convert in the face of so much digital content.

Tactile

It may be a fairly stayed defence of print but it is valid. A well-designed leaflet, flyer or brochure printing on quality material can be very effective. The tactile nature of higher GSM materials and matte finishes give an impression of quality that no other medium can do. It may not work on all potential customers but depending on the business niche it will work on a lot.

Design Options

While the world of video offers an almost unlimited space for creativity it is still on a flat screen. Print, as a medium, can allow for a lot of design ideas. Of course many catalogues and the like go no further than images and text on the page but in the hands of a skilled designer there are lot of options. Simple ideas like adding thicker paper for certain sections to highlight a product or service can help. Adding pull out sections to really wow the reader also make a big statement. Different shapes and sizes can catch the eye and make thing more enjoyable to interact with too. Adding in real world samples of materials, perfumes and textures can bring a print to life in a way video and images cannot.

Perceived and Real Value

When trying to make an impression print can certainly bring a perception of value. This is partly because of its physical nature, being “real” means it cost more money, right? Well maybe not but there is no doubt that is how many people will feel. Obviously, we are not talking about a cheap flimsy gloss leaflet here but something more heavy duty and beautiful. If you want to get a message across and you want potential clients to take away an impression of quality and value then using print as a promotional medium is a good way to do it. 

Stand Out from The Crowd

While we have already covered breaking through the digital wall this is a more general concept. Print is in decline in a number of ways so this means less people are using it. Magazines and newspapers are less popular, flyers, brochures and even business cards are going the same way. So, in the middle of this decline choosing to use print as a medium can automatically put your business or organisation in a different position. Of course, its fair to say you may not wish to be associated with a medium that is becoming less popular but conversely it might be a great way to get noticed. There are people who are willing to pay for an expensive and well curated magazine once every few months. These high quality, niche, publications can make a big impact. Advertising revenue in print are way down but choosing to market your business in one of these publications could give you access to a lot of potential customers. The impact of your advertising could be substancial because of the medium being less popular. Once again, design comes into the equation too. A bad advert in a good publication could well do more harm than good. But a carefully designed display advert in a long lasting magazine could deliver a huge return on investment.

The Downsides

Print certainly isn’t perfect. It can be very wasteful; once a product is read or used it is simply binned (hopefully recycled). Print uses physical resources to make as well as a lot of energy, the materials and end product need to be transported which has a knock on effect on the carbon footprint. However, there is a growing awareness of the environmental impact of the huge servers needed to supply digital content to us all so there is a argument both ways here. Print can also be expensive, it lacks the ability to be edited on the go if products or services change and this in turn has an effect on how much goes into the waste bin.

Print is certainly not dead and if used in the right way can still be a powerful design, content and marketing tool. If used badly, however, it can be wasteful and ineffective. As with most mediums its about intent and execution so don’t write off print just yet!

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Source: http://hrnews.co.uk/why-print/

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