Can you believe that we are already half way through the first month of the new year? I am sure you have thought about it already. How will your print be different this year than the year before? How should something that has been around longer than your grandparents be changed for the better? More, what possibly could an ol’ millennial like myself have to offer for advice? Not to worry. With the help of some of my favorite writer’s, I’ve come up with a list of thoughts to help improve print in the New Year. Helen Keller says its best, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight and no vision.” So here it is.
“Lovers of print are simply confusing the plate for the food.” ―Douglas Adams
The gaps between print and digital should become smaller
Douglas Adams is the bomb. You probably best know him as the author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He has some fantastic writing on the digital, but this quote is one of my favorites, especially as it can be related to print. There is such a big debate going on out there about print and digital. In fact, this is the first of the three misconceptions written about in the series 3 Misconceptions of the Print Industry (if you missed this series, you can find it here).
People believe that print and digital are at war, when in fact they are simply two means of travel to the same destination. Like Douglas Adam’s reveals in the above quote, it does not matter how the food is served as long as it is served. Studies reveal, the best way to serve content is by way of multi channels. In 2016, it would be nice to see less focus on a non existent war between the two and more focus on how they work together to better serve the viewer.
“Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards.” ―Aldous Huxley
Print should become more interactive
I love this quote by Aldous Huxley. For one, everything he write is so pertinent. I do realize this isn’t an English class, so stick with me for a moment more. Although, we have become more advanced in technology, our basic needs as humans have remained the same. Our basic need for interaction is as strong as ever. The technology has simply given us a means to reach out in more personalized ways through print. As we move forward in print capabilities, we should most certainly be looking backwards on our reasoning for utilizing those capabilities.
“I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny.” ―Dr. Seuss
Print should have funner content
In 2016 I would love to see print have content that is more fun. For one, it’s a good way to increase engagement. Look at Dr. Seuss, he was a master of fun content. Do you remember what he said in The Cat and the Hat? He said, “you find magic wherever you look. sit back and relax. all you need is a book.” Studies in neuroscience have revealed that print touches a central part of our brain that interprets content in much of the same way that a real life experience would. If given an opportunity to give someone a a fun experience where they will laugh and enjoy themselves, why not? What better way to reach out, engage, and stick with your audience than through print? We have the power!
“Stories you read when you’re the right age never quite leave you. You may forget who wrote them or what the story was called. Sometimes you’ll forget precisely what happened, but if a story touches you it will stay with you, haunting the places in your mind that you rarely ever visit.” ―Neil Gaiman
Print should target younger generations
Do you know Neil Gaiman. Author of Stardust, the Sandman graphic novels, American Gods and so many more classics? I was watching a documentary the other day on Netflix (coincidently I cannot remember what it’s called). The documentary explains how when Generation Xers were children the stores sold those candy cigarettes, which psychologically prepared them later on in life to be attracted to tobacco sales. It is no coincidence that this generation has the highest smoking rate of them all.
Neil Gaiman is right about one things, often times what affects us as children will stay with us through adulthood. We don’t even realize that it’s there, gearing us up for certain decisions later in life. 2016 Is a great year to begin targeting print to our younger generations. Besides the fact that they are getting older and soon will hold much more buying power within their households, it is also good to plant a seed within them that will blossom later.
There is so much to look forward to in the year to come, especially in the Printerverse. Unlike writers of these online articles who swear that print is on the decline, I am not at all swept away by this fictional hype. In fact, I am excited to see how print will be utilized in new ways to capture the attention of the masses as it has always done before. In the coming months, I hope to share with you how print is a lifestyle choice rather than a trend. Within that series a focus on print studies in neuroscience, the power of multi-channel marketing, and how print has played such a central roll in making us (as humans) who we are today. See you next month!
Jennifer Grace is a proud to be millennial who works as a Sales & Marketing Specialist at The Dingley Press. Dingley specializes in catalog printing and Jen is lucky enough to be stationed in the manufacturing facility where the presses run 24/7. When it comes to print and catalogs, one thing is for sure, Jen does not lack enthusiasm. To read more of her articles you can check out Dingley’s blog site or connect with her on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
