Survival of the fittest: can print ads battle it out?

In comparison to other media forms, there is a special element that print advertisements hold that enable it to excel in contemporary practice. Flicking through a magazine or newspaper becomes a physical experience, one that becomes something that the consumer feels comfortable with. Through this physical interaction with paper the consumer somewhat forms a relationship which then results in consumer loyalty and extended readership. Many people still read magazines and enjoy this form of engagement, even though the content can probably also be found online.

Magazines and newspapers cater to a specific audience, thus this form of advertising is still effective in carrying out promotional objectives. An advantage that print ads in magazines and newspapers have is that it reaches readers in a relaxed frame of mind- therefore they are most likely to look at ads carefully and actually take in what is meant to be absorbed. People are most likely to engage in this form of media when they have time, whether it be sitting at home, waiting for an appointment, having coffee or sitting at the hairdressers. In saying this, print ads possibly gain the most attention this way compared to on the internet. More often than not, ads on the internet get disregarded and ignored, as most of the time they become annoying to the browser and often seen as interference or clutter.

There is also the choice of special ad positioning, adding to this notion of appropriate targeting. The life span for magazines and newspapers are also longer as they are able to found and viewed over and over again with its high reach perspective. Most excitingly, print media advertisements produce glossy ads. The use of creative design and graphics is a very effective method that can attract the viewer's attention and at the same time gives the viewer a visual idea of the product it is trying to sell, stimulating and imitating the viewer's senses.

This idea that traditional forms of advertising remains just as popular as online advertising is supported by a study carried out in Britain, revealing that traditional print adverts are more trusted than online. It suggested that 59% of consumers pay the greatest attention to print advertising in magazines and 56% giving more attention to adverts in newspapers compared with any type of online advertising. “The strength of the newspaper and magazine industry is apparent with media consumers enjoying them and valuing their content”.

Deloitte report claims traditional media 'more popular than online: http://www.printweek.com/printbuying/news/871694/Deloitte-report-claims-traditional-media-more-popular-online/

The trusted nature of print ads

Regardless of economic times and growth of the internet, print advertisements still bring definite competitive advantages in the marketing mediums. As we take a look around it is evident that it still seems to be staying with us no matter how many opportunities the internet may bring forth.

How is it that print ads still have a significant place in the advertising industry today? One possible answer is credibility, which is an important component for a persuasive message and can influence outcomes effectively in terms of the advertiser's objectives.

People are more likely to pay attention and take in something that they trust and believe. In saying this, there is a great deal of respect and demand for this traditional form of media advertising and continues to be a valuable tool for advertisers. One aspect that the internet seems to be failing on is this idea of value, as something in print possibly holds higher position. How true is this perception?

In investigating this idea, the results of a study conducted by researchers at Louisiana State University and University of Texas supports this idea of high credibility associated with print advertisements compared to other forms of media. This study analyzes how promotional products, print and TV advertising impact consumer perception. Results indicate that print advertising was ranked highest in areas of positive attitudes shown toward not only the advertisement but the actual product, value and purchase intent. This form of advertising resulted to the consumers most preferred medium for gaining information about a product/brand. The argument proposed here is that not only it is most preferred by consumers in terms of value but also the most effective medium in achieving advertising objectives from a sellers position.

How Promotional Products, Print and Television Advertising Impact Consumer Perception: http://www.incentivecentral.org/pdf/PowerTool_KeyIngredientToIntegratedMarketing.pdf

Print VS Online

There is the idea that traditional forms of advertising including that of newspaper and magazines are losing ground to newer media. But how true is this? Yes- there have been significant changes facing the advertising industry. Advanced technology has made it possible to reach consumers in different ways and has altered how marketing efforts are carried out, but to what extent is online advertising actually taking over..

Consumers are redefining their relationships to traditional media and spending increased time online. Rather than going out and buying a newspaper or magazine, the internet becomes people's first choice of a search medium, in turn becoming the basis of what may be viewed as a more appropriate one in effectively forwarding a message.

People want mobility- they want to access required information where they want it and when they want it. Why sift through a paper when you can access just about anything at the press of a few buttons? The ability to publish is now in everybody's reach on the internet. Anybody can have an online printing press and distribute their content to millions.

Through the changes driven by the growth of the digital world, the advertising industry continues to wrestle with the challenge of this new realm. There is no doubt that the industry is transforming, and this will force advertising to reinvent itself in new and different ways. In Murdoch's speech about how technology has changed media, he stresses his concern for the need for the traditional press to adapt to these rapid changes of distribution.

There may be a decline in readership of more traditional forms of media due to the rise of the internet, but when it comes to advertising, is the internet really that successful? There are definitely significant advantages for both advertisers and consumers online- a wider market, lower costs and easy access but really- how close to the paper shredder is print advertising?