Will 2025 be the year of reading physical print?

When was the last time you picked up and read a book or a magazine?

In a world where we spend a daily average of 6 hours 40 mins looking at a screen, the act of reading from print is increasingly becoming a rare pleasure.

This raises important questions for marketers and media professionals about how to effectively engage audiences.

It is something CEO of publisher, Hearst, Katie Vanneck-Smith recently talked to Campaign about. She said when websites were embraced in the first phase of digital disruption, magazines became commoditised. Everyone started doing the same thing. The resultant experience was nothing like a magazine experience. It had none of the joy, the space or the serendipity.

She went on to say print and print magazines are a really creative canvas and readers will pay for what they value. This is something that has been confirmed with a 10% lift in print advertising sales for Hearst during the first half of 2024.

She also questioned what the magazine of the future looks like and how they can be reinvented to connect with audiences in the really special way that magazines have always done.

Some publishers are already employing successful ways to enjoy the increasing appreciation of printed magazines, especially by younger generations. This was something I discussed in this blog .

Greater audience engagement is at the heart of Roularta Media Group’s “Time to Read,” campaign. Through its flagship publications, Knack, Le Vif, Libelle and Femme d’Aujourd’hui, it aims to inspire Belgians to reclaim their reading time and reduce their screen time. Knack, for example, has introduced a challenge encouraging participants to read at least one book per month from October to December.

It is informed by a study of 1,000 Belgians, conducted by research company Kantar. It found 37% of younger adults (ages 18-34) are reading more now than they did five years ago and 89% of readers still prefer physical books.

The resurgence of interest in print coincides with growing awareness of the cognitive and emotional benefits of long form reading. Research by Frank Hakemulder , a leading figure in reading psychology, highlights the detrimental effects of excessive digital consumption on attention span and cognitive function. He warns of the dangers of rapid information consumption, which can erode empathy and reduce our ability to process complex ideas.

By contrast, print encourages deep engagement. Literature, with its nuanced storytelling and layered narratives, fosters critical thinking and empathy. It challenges readers to consider ambiguity and complexity, counteracting the oversimplified, bite sized content of digital media.

These are just some of the reasons publishers should be investing in fostering a broader culture of reading. Campaigns like Roularta’s remind us that reading is not just a pastime but a pathway to a more empathetic and cognitively engaged society. And print can make a heroic contribution to this process.