Trends and Status of Print Media in Recent Years

In 2017, we have seen the fact that digital surpassed TV as the No. 1 advertising spending medium. However, there’s still room for print media in your overall marketing strategy. Print media tends to be more appropriate than another when it comes to some specific target markets, products or services. While print media is no longer necessarily the first option for many businesses, it does play a critical role for others. 

Readers and ads spending drop

Both newspaper’s readers and advertising revenue were showing a decline in recent years. According to incomplete statistics, about 10 famous newspaper presses in China were caused to cease publication in 2014, and in 2015 about 30 stopped publication. Moreover, the magazine firms are faced with some serious issues, such as the decrease of circulation and advertising revenue.

Print media has its unique strengths

The whole world is trending towards a technology era with immersive experiences being more popular among users, but print will still have its own position in advertising. The reason for this is that print has personal impact that people can touch and feel. Fine art is created when paper and ink come together in a powerful way. This is why the Columbia Journalism Review refers to print ads as the “new ‘new media’”.

Print media in India

In 2006, newspaper circulation in India was about 39.1 million copies, yet until 2016, this number has grown to 62.8 million – a 60 percent increase. Comparable data for the most recent year available, 2015, show that although circulation fell in almost every major media market(by 12 percent in the UK, 7 percent in the US and 3 percent in Germany and France), the newspaper circulation grew by 12 percent in India. Why print media show good performance in India? Probably because of the primacy of the written word and the home delivery of the newspaper. The bulk of paid circulation is dominated by dailies in English and other languages. These now account for nearly 56 million of the total circulation in the period under study. The highest circulation of 22 million copies a day comes with Hindi language dailies, followed by English at 8.55 million, Malayalam (4.55 million) and Marathi (4.33 million).

Print media can provide what digital can’t

Print advertising will not disappear. Print will always be trusted and reliable compared with the shiny new technology. A good example is that the magazine industry is still experiencing plenty of success, and will continue to do so in 2017. In a world overwhelmed by digital media, consumers are looking for more options and ways to consume their media, and magazines provide just that. One thing is for sure, digital will never help consumers flip through a hard copy, a book or a magazine physically. Please keep that in mind when planning your 2017 ad campaign.

App for print media

To enhance the print experience, magazine apps are launched by many publishers. They will also learn to capitalize on app technology. Providing branding opportunity, extended shelf life, and multi-platform potential – app technology for print media will continue to develop in 2017.