Which are the key drivers of an industry in crisis?
by Gustavo Baner (c) 2012
gbaner@revistalaprimera.com
Even though printing is still relevant, we can no longer assume that the use of printed paper in this century is comparable to what was considered standard usage a century ago. Thousands of printing companies are trying to find a reason to stay in business, which is a simple way of saying that their real challenge is to be able to understand what the current needs are for society at large, and to be able to satisfy those needs.
The only way to resolve a crisis is to understand the reasons that created the support for it in the first place.
If we analyze the history of print media, we'll find that the massive access to the internet via cell phones, tablets and other gadgets has eroded the need for printed paper in most applications. The printed paper has historically been the source of knowledge, of teaching and the way to pass the heart and soul of a community down to its heirs. Audio and video recordings have also replaced some of those ways to spread information, and the ubiquity of the Internet has generated new ways of achieving the objectives mentioned above in a revolutionary way.
A shift occurred as technologies advanced. Printing became an advertising tool rather than a tool to pass knowledge from one generation to the next. There are those who truly believe that advertising represents a branch of knowledge that flows within a society and value it equally to some of the informational printing purposes.
We have seen changes both on printed paper for personal use and in the business world. Both arenas have been affected. Automation and computing power did a lot to force drastic changes in our behavior.
How has the printing world reacted? I think that it has been difficult for many professional printers to understand that the changes have more to do with the way in which society operates than with a certain policy by the Federal Government.
Those who couldn't understand the sociological changes built additional technologies that fill in the needs of a marketplace that requires more efficient supply chains. This group pushed developments in software, digital printing and gang runs in order to reshape the marketplace.
Others, who seem to have a grasp on the consequences of this massive change, have focused on improving the power of the printing to achieve results. In this case, the results that could be described as successful would be connected to ways of spreading knowledge throughout society. I should again emphasize how advertising is a very powerful tool.
The historically structured teaching/learning methods are changing. When self-teaching often allows students to go futher than ever before, helping students and citizens find their way becomes critical. It is there that the power of advertising and printing has its opportunity. There is the need for passing information but at a whole other level.
This line of thought has brought sophisticated applications, which have become more prevalent in the marketplace. Printed advertising is definitely still a legitimate way to move knowlege. Tools such as variable data printing, spot UV, book binding, 3D lenticlulars and others are changing the shape of the marketplace. The messages can be passed in a way that had never been possible in the past. Printed advertising has the power to connect all of the knowledge-learning line.
Because of the higher relevance of the pieces made under the explained concept, these applications generate a higher return on investment (ROI). The following points explain the reason for success:
- people hold to those relevant pieces for longer times
- the message on those pieces is much more relevant. Smart pieces will build the perfect link between those who have something to say and those who want to hear. Advertising applications are definitely among those effective bridges between the information providers and their target markets.
Since the new technology allowed the creation of more relevant documentation without huge increases in the production cost, some companies are booming. For those that understood the challenge of society, the printing business is doing great!
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