Isn't print dead?

Since joining a thriving print and design business, a number of friends asked me ‘isn’t print dead?’… this obviously got me thinking about whether I’d jumped into an industry that had succumbed to the rise of the digital age!

So, I set out to dig a bit deeper and understand what I had let myself in for.

It’s absolutely true that we live in a digital age; millennials fixated on social media; megabits of information shared at the click of a mouse, and our mobile phones basically running our lives. So, where does that leave our humble print industry, let’s explore…

Digital Detox

Interestingly, one in five people surveyed admitted they needed this, with 70% of people looking to reduce their overall consumption of digital media. Without a doubt, digital technologies have transformed virtually every aspect of our lives, however, it seems digital fatigue is setting in. And when it comes to brand awareness, 70% of people are more likely to remember a brand that they see in print versus online advertising.

Personal Touch

If we’re honest we all would prefer an actual birthday card to an e-card; a letter rather than an email; and a gift voucher rather than a discount code. We have a stronger emotional connection with print; touch, feel, and smell all playing their part. Many brands are recognising that services like direct mail are connecting with customers in a way that provokes action. According to the latest DMA Direct Mail Response Rate Report, the average response rate for direct mail is around 9%. Compare that with email which comes in at less than 1% and you can see why direct mail is so popular for businesses who are looking to grow their brands.

Credibility & Trustworthiness

Books, newspapers, and magazines have been a part of our lives for centuries. As a result, we tend to place a great deal of trust in printed materials and the content we consume. UK statistics show that printed media are the second most trusted source of advertising after television, with digital sources such as websites and social media falling way behind.

Digital is easily forgotten

Print, not so much. Once we’ve finished with a website, we’re likely to ignore it, despite all that digital detail competing for our attention: ‘Buy this’; ‘Subscribe here’; ‘Follow our page’. But print occupies a physical space, reminding us of its presence even when we’ve put it down. As a result, we’re far more likely to pick it up again.

Printing has been with us for over 500 years but far from being dead in a world of automated processing and artificial intelligence, print is not only alive but continues to connect with us in a way that can never really be replaced.