These days digital dominates the industry press agenda. But we’d hate for you to leave 2018 without sparing a thought for traditional media. Because, ladies and gentlemen, there are plenty of reasons to feel cheerful about print.
We’ve pulled together our favourite stories to slingshot you into the new year.
14 ways print advertising can provide new audience potential for your company – FORBES
The Forbes Agency Council pours over the benefits of print advertising. So expect comment of the familiar issues of brand trust, brand reach and effectiveness. What sets this feature apart is a 14-point breakdown of how agencies can make print advertising work for them.
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Our lady of immaculate taste – The Cut
Molly Fischer takes a deep dive into the life and mind of Penny Martin, editor of “fashion’s quirkiest indie mag”, The Gentlewoman. What follows is a fascinating look behind the curtain of a real outlier (for all the right reasons) in the women’s magazine space.
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Richard Shotton on why you just can’t help yourself – Print Power
The behavioural economics expert and author of The Choice Factory spoke earlier in the year about the brain’s unconscious biases and how it affect planners’ perceptions of print advertising.
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For two months, I got my news from print newspapers. Here’s what I learned – New York Times
Farhad Manjoo admits unplugging from digital and relying on just three print newspapers helped him to avoid innocent mistakes and malicious misdirection. The exercise, he says, allowed him to realise his own role in a broken digital news environment.
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Print is a word of mouth powerhouse – Print Power
This is the story of how a print ad/pregnancy test became a viral sensation. And why print is the perfect vehicle for word of mouth marketing.
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Smart, cool … and in print: how indie mags became all the rage – Guardian
Hot on the heels of an exhibition at London’s Somerset House to celebrate the history of British indie mags, The Guardian paid tribute to the scene – past and present. Comparing a glut of indie magazines to a resurgence in vinyl sales.
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Kodachrome mag and the analogue revolution – Print Power
The people behind Kodak’s customer magazine point to the vinyl revival as evidence of a “cultural exploration at play”. One where “many of us are looking for deeper, more meaningful experiences.” This, they claim, is why people are jockeying to rediscover analogue in all its forms.
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The key to unlocking print's future lies in data and its direct-mail past – The Drum
Publishers could learn a lot by looking at the evolution of direct mail and focusing first on what data matters for their business. As Stacy Hawes puts it, “It’s time to ignore the headlines proclaiming the “death of print” and instead focus on bringing together and optimising the old and new.”
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Why young companies are starting print magazines as a way to help build their brands – ADWEEK (paywall)
Young companies looking to expand their brand sometimes turn to unlikely places. With some even choosing to go old school and publish their own print magazine.
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Planning for Profit – Newsworks
The landmark study shows that brands are missing out on a massive £3bn in profits by choosing not to park more of their media budgets in newsbrands. This may prompt them to reconsider…
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Is crowdfunding a sustainable business model for indie mags? – Eye On Design
The Kickstarter funding model has helped jumpstart a glut of indie titles in recent times, mainly for niche, dedicated audiences. But might it also help legacy publishers stay afloat. Or better still, give them a much needed dose of flexibility in how they create and deliver content?
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Richard Madden on the “strange rebirth of print in advertising” – Print Power
BBH London’s strategy partner ponders advertisers’ Faustian pact with digital media’s dark side and print’s unique ability to communicate in different cognitive modes.
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Meet the upstart publishers taking a chance on print – FT (paywall)
Independents are betting on print at a time when many established titles are struggling. Those making a success of it say why.
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The 10 wicked wisdoms of Juan Senõr – Print Power
Think you’ve got the print debate pegged? The presenter of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity begs to differ…
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Press may have its day again – Campaign
Campaign’s global editor-in-chief Claire Beale agrees that print press has an important role to play still if brands are to continue churning out trusted, curated and quality content. Her fear though is that agencies are buying into the narrative around print’s demise and have forgotten how to create simple, powerful press ads.
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Many are familiar with the doom and gloom narrative around print media, but the above features prove that the real story is far more complicated. One that is constantly evolving and gives plenty of reasons to feel optimistic. So perhaps in 2019 we’ll start to see the narrative take a more cheerful turn…
