Why Print is still relevant in the digital climate?
The World Wide Web was 30 years old on the 12th of March and with the rise of web 3.0 a lot of the classical media forms such as print media, might be seen as falling in effectiveness when it comes to advertisement and promotional marketing activity. This has been pushed as what’s to come by naysayers for the last 25 years. We never agreed back then and still don’t now! Here’s why…
Since the dawn of the digital media, people have heralded the death of print media! You know the old sayings, radio killed the newspaper, TV killed radio, Web killed TV (and print) and so forth. Well we all know that really isn’t how any of it has progressed and developed! Here at Silvertoad, 38% of our monthly production goes into producing print products for our clients, that’s over a 3rd of our work and that has been the same for over 10 years! In fact, we’ve seen an increase in print.
Whilst it’s true that the digital age has become very prominent in our lives both personally and at work, with most major media companies making business model shifts in recent years to accommodate customer preference for digital content. BUT, where does this leave those that rely heavily on magazine, newspaper, billboard, direct mail etc. advertisements? We see still see these things right? They’ve not disappeared? We see print media and products everywhere and in all the same original formats, but now with a few new formats too!
Differentiating between the digital world, and the physical world is more important now than it has ever been. In the age of instant gratification, people lose interest in digital content fast! Just reflect briefly on a usual day – we check our emails, text our friends, WhatsApp others, Facebook message, whilst binge-watching our favourite TV show or movies on demand. We hardly focus and give digital content our full attention. In a recent survey, it was said that only 25% of people trusted online pop up ads, where a whopping 82% said they trusted print ads!*
Let’s face it, people like to interact and touch objects, a physical printed product in front of you is way more entertaining and engaging than online and digital based content. So why is print still thriving?
#1 Print is credible and trustworthy
#2 Print helps you reach your target market
#3 95% of people under 25 read magazines!
#4 Magazine Advertising campaigns are more successful
#5 Print is more engaging
In essence, print is seriously effective and it’s going nowhere fast! If ever… British Print reports that of all the printing in the UK alone, 34% equates to advertisement purposes, 30% is our newspapers, magazines, books and brochures, 5% is security printing, 14% is printed packaging and the other 17% is other printing, Print is dead they said? No not really…
If anything, Digital content has just enhanced Print Media, allowing designers to design print products more efficiently, more effectively, with precision and details which are all in front of you. Scented inks, holographic images and the raft of new additions to print that have come along in the last 20 years is proof of the undying nature of print!
In effect, digital media has helped to boost print and integrating both traditional and new media and with the combined, this is where the biggest gains are to be had.
Here at Silvertoad, we will keep using print until such time as it no longer provides the benefits it always has!
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Silvertoad, based in Luton, Bedfordshire, provides a wide range of website design and development services, graphic design and printing solutions and a host of other marketing solutions. Interested in taking your marketing to the next level? Feel free to contact our friendly customer services team to discuss how we can help you! Call us on 0800 756 6800 or email us at [email protected]
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