How innovations in print media are allowing offline marketing to compete in the world of online advertising

Its been less than 10 years since fast broadband swept into our homes and offices changing the way we obtain absorb and share information forever, at the time many people envisaged the downfall in printed advertising.

To a child of the millennium, a magazine is just an iPad that doesn’t work. However, print media refuses to die, and instead is adopting some high tech innovations that could bring more than just moving pictures and noise to the table. Here’s our round up of how print is fighting back and what that could mean for advertising.

Smaller is better
OK, it’s not a high tech innovation, but the move to smaller print formats, from tabloid rather than broadsheet newspapers to handbag sized magazines does go some way to mitigating the portability issue.

Whether print magazines move away from longer features to shorter ones to keep pace with online trends, or retain longer more in-depth features remains to be seen, but with print publishers investing a lot of time and money in tracking reading habits, expect to see further experiments in new formats.

Smell the coffee
One thing your TV or PC can’t do (yet) is include scents in your reading experience. We’ve all seen scent impregnated in pages advertising perfume. Inks can be infused with essential oils, meaning it’s not only perfume manufacturers who could create mood advertising on the page. Coffee, anyone?

Feel the heat
Another interactive ink is thermochrome. It changes with the temperature, so you might find yourself using your body heat to uncover ‘secret’ offers, try out different colours or revealing another layer of advertising.

Timed release
They may have been developed to prevent counterfeiting currency, but with inks that can only been seen under certain light or after a certain amount of time, print advertising could include timed release information, making it more cost effective.

QR codes
In comparison, Quick Response (QR) codes, which users scan like barcodes to open a file or link to a website, seem decidedly old school. However, if you want customers to be able to order a product or provide feedback, this is one of the simplest ways for a smartphone user to interact with your ad.

AR markers
Augmented Reality (AR) sites somewhere between real world and virtual world, usually closer to real world. Think about adding graphics to your web cam images and you’re on the right track. Using print markers in advertising that a webcam picks up to create a scene around the user focused on the brand has a world of potential for toy manufacturers and musicians amongst others.

Video in Print (VIP)
With VIP screens just 3m thick, complete with integrated speakers and rechargeable USB battery already appearing in print magazines, audio visual media content is already available in print media.

Now, just imagine a VIP screen on a scent impregnated page complete with thermochrome ink print, and you might just be looking at the future of print advertising.

Print is definitely here to stay for the foreseeable future, its just having to evolve into all the areas that can’t be achieved by digital devices such as tablets and smartphones.

Dean Williams

Dean Williams is a design and marketing blogger working for Print-Print Limited, promoting business and building brands through quality print marketing. If you’re interested in small business promotion then please get in touch hello@print-print.co.uk