It's one of the oldest tricks in the book. But it’s no secret that print media has had a rocky couple of decades.
With more newspapers and magazines going digital, the industry has, in certain areas, struggled, with a smaller percentage of print publications being commercially successful.
Having said that, in recent years more of us looking to have moments away from the digital world have returned to print media.
So, where are the advertisers left in all of this?
Today, we’re evaluating the present state of print advertising so that we can begin to understand its future in 2022 and beyond.
Let’s get started!
First of all, let’s cover the basics.
What is print advertising?
Print advertising refers to any ad that is printed in a hard copy publication.
Newspapers, journals, magazines and leaflets are all examples of publications that can utilise print advertising.
What are the benefits of print advertising?
1. Reach wider audiences
Magazines are enjoyed by people of all ages.
As such, magazines (particularly those with a bigger circulation) give advertisers the opportunity to reach wider audiences and make a lasting impression.
2. Reach audiences at the right time
Readers tend to reach for a magazine as a way to pass the time or as a hobby.
While some people read magazines in waiting rooms or on trains to entertain themselves for the time being, others actively seek out magazines and purchase them to read during their leisure time.
Either way, both types of reader will often give the magazine a significant amount of attention, if not their whole attention, while reading it.
This means that advertisers have ample opportunity to grab their target audience’s attention with ads that are creative and demonstrate exactly who your brand is and what you can do for the customer.
What are the downsides of print advertising?
1. Less optimization
Where digital media gives us the opportunity to perfectly tailor our ads to reach our audience in very specific, intentional ways, it can be a challenge for advertisers to do the same for print media.
Furthermore, many brands can struggle to quantify the success of their print advertising campaign, as the format of print advertising makes evaluating campaign success more of a challenge than it is for most digital advertising channels.
What is the future of print advertising?
Unfortunately, recent studies suggest that the global print market is expected to decline this year from $31.84 billion in 2021 to $31.64 billion, eventually hitting $28.4 billion in 2026.
With that being said, there is still ample opportunity for brands to reach their target audience through print advertising.
In the future, we expect brands looking to reap the benefits of this format to commission full-page ads that allow them to capture their target audience’s attention without some of the character limitations that come with a lot of digital advertising.
While the market is expected to decrease, there are still countless brands who are successfully leveraging print advertising to reach their target audience, to build brand recognition and to nurture brand trust.
Will your brand one of them?
If you’re looking to take your print ads to the next level or are wondering how they can work for your brand, get in touch us at One Day Agency.
