After almost 2000 years since the first evidence of printing was discovered in China, with a joyous heart I am here to report that PRINT IS DEAD. It didn’t go easy and I’d bet even now some of you refuse to believe it’s gone, but trust me… print, like Elvis, has left the building.
Print is Dead, Long Live Print.
Paraphrasing our friends from across the pond is highly appropriate in this case because every end has a beginning, and 2015 has proven that the new media marketing mix not only includes print, more often than not it starts there.
The effective and efficient use of print as a delivery device to multiple marketing channels makes it as contemporary as any electronic delivery device, if not more. And even though there will always be an inherent and “traditional” advantage in not requiring a power source to share information, that is the only thing traditional about print media anymore.
Everything OLD is NEW Again!
2015 is the year that Amazon opened a retail bookstore. Absorb that. It’s not a “traditional” bookstore, because the market has shown us there is no need for that – mostly because of Amazon. However, there are books on the shelves, and thanks to us they can be printed on-demand vs. stockpiled and warehoused, collecting dust until someone orders one online. Amazon Books is capitalizing on providing online and offline options for readers, and capitalizing on selling physical and electronic books, and that never would have happened if print didn’t die.
2015 saw a surge in the “forever” movement, and the digital channels led it. Whether it was the ability to turn social streams into books, or create a permanent record for our photos, the world now depends upon print media to safely deliver and store our memories.
Take a Bow Print-Killer!
This is the part where we all take some credit for the death of print, and the re-birth of print media. Starting with the manufacturers and suppliers, moving to the printers and buyers, and finishing with the end-users and consumers, we knew we had a solid product, and we never stopped believing, learning and educating about the power of print media.
In a few weeks I will share my 2016 CMYK Manifesto (see 2015’s) to outline the mission for print next year, and beyond. Until then, THANK YOU for a fabulous 2015 and most important, for your fabulous contributions to the death of print!
Die/Live Long and Prosper!
Deborah Corn is the Intergalactic Ambassador to The Printerverse at PrintMediaCentr, a Print Buyerologist™, Integrated Marketer, Industry Speaker and Blogger, Cultivator of the Print Production Professionals Group, the #1 Print Group on LinkedIn, and host of the weekly industry #PrintChat on Twitter. She has more than 25 years experience working in advertising and marketing, and currently works behind the scenes with printers, suppliers and industry organizations helping them to achieve success with their cross media and social media marketing endeavors.
