I had a wonderful lunch yesterday with a prospective client in Washington, DC. At one point, they asked me that question which has been asked so many times over the past several years, “Do you think that print is going away?”
I’ve thought about this question many times and so I answered it with an unequivocal, no. Of course, there’s no denying the seismic shift that is sweeping media and content delivery because of the Internet. Digital delivery of information has changed everything and will continue to do so as technology, communication and innovation rapidly allow all of us to choose how we want to consume whatever it is that we are looking for.
But there are some very strong reasons why print will continue in the future as well. First, we all know that there’s intangible quality and texture to print that will continue to attract it as it always has. Second, the portability of print will also endure. But I believe the most important attribute about print is the “Aha” factor. Print dominates over digital in its ability to create the Aha moment. The thing that I love about browsing a magazine or newspaper is the unexpected article that excites me, interests me or enlightens me in a way I never expected and wasn’t looking for. With digital, I search and learn, with print, I browse, learn, think and am entertained all at the same time.
As I boarded my plane back to Chicago, I once again proved my point. I purchased The Harvard Business Review, Yoga Journal and The Atlantic at the newsstand. Although these three magazines have nothing to do with each other, they all mean something to me and all three provided information, entertainment and stimulated some action on my part.
Let me give you an example. The new January issue of The Harvard Business Review is completely reinvented from an editorial and design standpoint which is what first caught my eye. I highly recommend that you pick it up the new issue for many reasons but particularly for the article on “Rethinking Marketing”. It is an enlightening insight into the changes that are occurring for every company and organization that will necessitate a complete change in strategy and organizational structure.
This HBR article, that I wasn’t searching for, provided such an Aha moment that I’m tingling with how I can communicate the breakthrough thinking to my company and our clients. I’m certain that I’ll be committing my blog tomorrow entirely to this future trend but for now, back to my original point.
Print will always be a strong delivery channel for target audiences who crave well-written editorial content that informs, provides thought-leadership, entertains, provides the unexpected and delivers that Aha moment.
