In recent years it is fair to suggest that most industries have had to embrace the world of digital technology in order to survive. The worldwide web has changed the landscape and with it the way that company’s do business.
An industry that continues to face scrutiny for not changing with the times however is print. Perhaps unfairly the general perception is that print does not like digital and digital does not like print and without the integration of the two, the demise of a paper based industry seems inevitable. But I believe that print has undergone a quiet revolution of late.
In today’s increasingly digital market, print has had to evolve to keep up with current trends and continue to compete with new technologies. Whilst there is no denying that consumer attitudes to print have changed, with many preferring the instant delivery of online content as opposed to a printed magazine or newspaper, we do not live in a paperless society and consumers still engage with hard copy documents.
However, print as a medium has had a challenge on its hands to ensure that it still attracts attention and engages with its audience. People expect and want more than a colourful document, they want something that adds value and keeps them interested. Producing a printed publication is no longer enough. Recipients want to engage with print interactively through a digital dimension for a more invigorative reader experience.
In a bid to bridge the gap between print and digital, as well as changer consumers’ attitudes to print, businesses have had to embrace next generation technology, which allows users to access digital content that they can interact with on their phone. For example, recently Paragon has launched a new app to offer clients Interactive Print in association with Linkz, the mobile communications specialists.
This type of technology, which is an evolution of QR codes, works through a hidden series of specially developed hyperlinks and enables users to scan over a print advert, catalogue or poster and immediately go to a mobile website with enhanced content such as images, videos, hints and tips or downloadable discount vouchers.
Technology, such as this, has paved the way for a new type of content consumption in the digital age. The difference between what Paragon are offering and that of competitors using QR codes for example is that level of content that can be accessed by the user. We want to give them an extended experience that gives them more than they were expecting, not a pretty picture or link to a Facebook page.
By combining the tangibility of print with the immediacy of digital, companies will be able to bring new life to a traditional medium, ensuring that the printed items that are offered today are interactive, engaging, useful and, most importantly, of interest to clients.
Bringing print and digital together means that the documents created for clients are able to engage with audiences in a way that was not previously possible and the biggest benefit of this is the opportunity to literally bring a marketing campaign to life.
This new approach to marketing campaigns is making it possible for recipients to interact with live, real time data through a multi-media experience, whilst engaging and responding to content in a completely new way. For the first time brands can also measure response, activation and even location through the use of the interactive app, offering companies a solution to solve real business challenges, reduce costs and also add real value to the experience of the end user.
In addition through simple apps brands and marketing agencies are able to evaluate the success of their campaigns using data showing engagement levels and number of downloads. As a result there is little doubt that in the long run new technology will change the way that brands and marketing teams plan their future campaigns.
With consumers engaging with their mobile device 24/7 and living in a world where we are always ‘switched on’, customers have come to expect that businesses have a multi-level marketing engagement platform. By investing in such technology, companies have not only been able to meet these demands, but also create customer loyalty.
Clients will understand that businesses do listen to their needs and demands and that the print sector are willing to adapt with the changing times. With the print sector embracing the digital world, it has been proven that print and digital can go hand in hand and that in this new digital world a traditional medium that some have written off has the ability to not only survive, but thrive.
By Tim Webster, Manager of Marketing Services at Paragon.
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