Reinventing print — It's about creating an indulgent tactile experience
I sat in a Publisher’s boardroom recently and heard woeful stories of the demise of traditional publications and just how lean the industry has had to become to stay on their respective rocks and avoid being swept to oblivion.
The highly competitive world of print media.
Every day it seems we hear something about the demise of printed publications. Declining daily newspaper and magazine circulation has caused just about everything to move to the web – isn't that what we've heard? Rumours of the death of print, particularly when it comes to those marketing luxury products, are exaggerated. There is evidence to suggest that even in the current climate of digital integration, print remains among the most engaging marketing devices available to advertisers as well as consumers.
Many publishers have neglected their commitments to high-end graphic design...
There are so few beautifully designed magazines these days, which have great wit and discourse. Many publishers have neglected their commitments to high-end graphic design as circulation numbers have dwindled and operating budgets tighten. For the medium to survive, this will need to be addressed with fresh eyes and editorial skill sets. Demanding less commentary and more independent insights where content will need to be witty, engaging and above all informative.
Bloomberg full of wit and discourse — insights as opposed to plagiarised commentary.
Attracting the advertising revenues will also require a different style of negotiation with the advertiser wherein the magazine’s design integrity becomes an important ingredient and its compatibility with the Ad itself. Not an easy balance to strike. Dazzling advertisements strategically placed within a luxury publication can fortify content.
For marketers, print provides built-in ad blocking, in a "software-free zone".
For readers, time spent thumbing through sumptuous images and stories is tactile, free from the never ending stream of Internet pop-ups, screen takeovers and other visual distractions. At a recent summit for luxury retailers in Europe it was agreed that print media is an environment specifically suited to luxury brands and a venue to highlight products and services in a non-disruptive fashion. I think I’m like many readers who enjoy the latest ad campaigns and the importance of fresh branding efforts.
ID Magazine — consistently captivating.
Affluent consumers in particular, I believe, relish "me-time" nowadays. Reading through their favourite publications away from the harsh, electronic glare of a screen, presents the welcome opportunity to get lost in rich, visual imagery that affects behaviour. That’s time well spent by any measure.
Milan’ fashion Cognescenti
I am not discounting the Internet as a singularly powerful marketing tool, however, some digital assets dedicated to niche products result in clicks that are more drive-by in nature. When constructed appropriately, beautiful publications marketing luxury products currently reside in homes on coffee tables for long periods of time.
Print's reinvention is about creating an indulgent tactile experience.
I still believe in the extraordinary power of print, the positive impact it can have with consumers. When you curl up on a sumptuous sofa or in a long distance airline seat you want to be enchanted and transported to somewhere special don’t you?