R.I.P Print? Not So Fast

There is no doubt that the nature of print has changed. Expedited by the recession where marketing budgets were slashed, print has gone from the primary marketing medium for corporate communications to near obscurity. However, print seems to be making a comeback. I would call this an evolution and certainly this is a new day for print communications. Realizing the effectiveness of print in comparison to a web-based product is important for marketers, and today there are so many creative ways to succeed in the print space.

Print in the 21^st Century

Digital printing is certainly at the forefront of the print revolution and companies like HP are leading the way with its Indigo technology. Affording you with the ability to print high-quality and low quantity at a reasonable cost is a winning formula. The ability to print on a variety of quality papers is blurring the line between the quality of full offset printing and digital. Digital printing can also give the marketer the option of targeting its audience through variable data and the use of QR codes to drive the target to a website or video.

Tailor Made for Print

When developing a print piece it is important to realize what type of content supports print. Web, no doubt, is preferable with information that changes frequently such as a statistic-based product. Print can resonate successfully with information that has a longer shelf life and not dated too fast such as thought-leader content, mission statements and message-heavy information.

RIP Print… Definitely Not

There is no dispute that print has evolved. Print in its best use, complements web and should be inclusive in a sound marketing strategy. Knowing what print options exist and the creative application of print is key to this strategy. 

Check out the history of print by visiting http://visual.ly/printing-history-timeline.