No innovation in mankind has had a greater impact on the course of history than the development of the printing press. Proprietorship of knowledge, education, and information began to crumble, ushering in the modern era. The Printing Revolution resulted in a significant rise in literacy, educational reform, and availability of information. New revolutionary ideas swiftly spread across national boundaries. Scientific advances were disseminated quickly and efficiently. The creation of newspapers, brochures, billboards, and publications revolutionized the distribution of knowledge.
The commercial printing industry of today has come a long way since Johannes Gutenberg’s legendary, but rudimentary, printing press of 1440. We can now do things that were impossible six centuries ago, and revolutionary new technologies like digital printing has made it easier than ever to make sharper and cleaner print in vast quantities. This begs the question, “What is the relevance of the printing industry in 2022 and beyond?”
Many experts have forecasted and labelled the printing business as a declining sector as customers shift to digital platforms, but many in the printing industry have used this as an opportunity to adopt new techniques that assure they can cope and continue to engage in trades.
Despite the expansion of digital media and corporate and government organizations throughout the world advocating for a paperless culture because it poses environmental risks, the need for printing remains intact. In This article, we have cited a few reasons why the printing industry will not remain relevant but also continue to flourish in 2022 and beyond it.
PACKAGING IS THE NEXT BIG THING
Packaging innovation, according to experts, is being driven by e-retailers like Amazon. Electronic retail sector has demonstrated how well-designed, printed, and tagged packaging can make or break a business. Sophisticated print innovation is also rapidly becoming customizable, much like Amazon, where users may make on-demand items more accessible and never go elsewhere. As sales continue to rise, packaging innovation creates a big opportunity for the printing industry.
Brand owners are constantly looking for new and exciting print ideas for commercial and industrial applications. The printing industry may work closely with their clients and brands in a collaborative manner to help them explore print prospects. The expansion of e-commerce is undoubtedly a driving trend of the future growth of digital package and label manufacturing, and this will have a significant influence on the printing sector.
PRINT IS VERSATILE
One of the primary goals of digital marketing is for customers to receive their message immediately, whether it’s in the form of a tweet, sponsored social media campaign, or email campaign. While this can be a useful mode of communication, it lacks the permanence that print and printed materials provide. When you give someone a printed pamphlet, they can take it with them and read it whenever and wherever they choose. It might also be there with them for a longer period of time, as opposed to a fast glimpse of social media post. The versatility that print provides your consumers is a massive bonus.
PRINT IS EVERYWHERE
Print media also has a lot of adaptability and isn’t tied to a screen like digital media, which might limit your audience reach. While most people these days are computer-savvy, there are still those who don’t own digital devices and hence can’t access digital media. There are so many possibilities with print that businesses may promote not just on paper – brochures, pamphlets, business cards, flyers, etc. – but on nearly everything. Stickers, badges, magnets, mugs, and other promotional items may help advertise a business in ways that digital media cannot. Print media may be placed practically anywhere, expanding its application in everyday life.
PRINT IS RELIABLE
According to research, people across demographics, even the younger generation, trust print media far more than any other type of material they are exposed to. Print media outperforms television, radio, and digital information, with newspapers and regular publications seen as more trustworthy than their internet equivalents. Printed media is typically thought to be less intrusive, as there are no bothersome pop-up adverts to get in the way. A brochure, magazine, or other kind of print marketing is a more casual approach to marketing. The consumer may view the material whenever they want, without having an ad interrupt their online stream. Print will continue to be the most reliable type of media accessible.
BETTER ENGAGEMENT & TANGIBILITY
Print may be absorbed in an easy-to-read style, boosting the consumer experience and positively presenting the business. Print helps you to effectively convey a story, which may help to enhance sales presentations and other marketing activities. There’s nothing like holding a well-designed leaflet. A huge poster announcing a great offer at a departmental store or a neighborhood café window can draw customers in. Printed billboards or brochures may be left in windows and on office desks for weeks or months, delivering exceptional bang for buck when compared to other media with a limited lifespan.
Print is a tactile, tangible medium that can transmit a great deal of information and messaging. It remains in the actual world for countless views and shares before finding its way to the recycling bin. It also allows businesses to demonstrate the importance they have on their consumer relationships. Because services are becoming more commoditized, brands must demonstrate that they know and value their consumers more than their rivals. A nicely designed, personalized, printed piece of direct mail may express this far more effectively than an email ever could.
A prospect is more likely to remember print content once they read it. According to studies, we recall knowledge better when we read it in print than when we read it digitally. As print is tangible, it has impact. The brain can assimilate it more easily, improving the odds of memory. Print also elicits a powerful emotional response. We engage with a physical page by flipping from one page to the next in chronological sequence, however with digital media, we are distracted by scrolling and multiple links, making fluent reading harder. As a result, our visual engagement with the digital content isn’t as powerful.
EVERYTHING CANNOT BE DIGITAL
Despite the vast reach that the internet offers, not all information can be effortlessly migrated from print to web, and while businesses are attempting to do so, certain elements simply cannot be recreated. Consumers have several points of contact with a brand, company, service, or product, and they do not all exist in a virtual realm. Consumers still require printed products, which must be consistent in branding and idea with online initiatives. Furthermore, given that not everyone surfs the web and that not everything can be done online, the benefits of digital marketing in tandem with an effective print campaign has become clear.
CONCLUSION
Printing industry, despite new channels and forms of competition, continues to play an important role in business success. Print is a physical medium that continues to provide fantastic results for businesses who use it to grow their customer base. Printing technology has improved and adapted to an ever-changing environment as new technologies have joined the fray. Printing remains a very valuable source of information and marketing tool for organizations in a variety of ways.
