Do you wonder what the future has in store for us?
Do you ever wait in suspense to find out what will happen next?
Do you you follow the predictions of those who foretold the future?
The greatest of those who made predictions was Nostradamus. Sadly, neither he nor any others ever made any predictions about the print industry. So, in the absence of his input, I am going put myself into the role of a great visionary. Here are my three print predictions for 2012.
1) In 2012 print will be truly interactive
I believe that in 2012 communicators are really going to understand how print can work with other channels. Print will no longer be regarded as something that stands on its own. Instead, people will use it in conjunction with other channels.
QR codes will become commonplace. There will be more experimentation with other ways in which print can interact. And we will see augmented reality starting to be used more widely.
These changes will offer both opportunities and threats to the print sector. Print companies will have to learn these new technologies to stay in the game. But these new technologies will also offer good opportunities to move print away from the commodity pricing arena.
And the main reason for this will be that print is becoming more measurable.
2) In 2012 we will start hearing about return on investment for print more often
Now that print will drive prospects to other channels, its success can be properly measured. If I put a QR code, or a specific url, on a piece of print today I can immediately check whether my campaign works. I know exactly how many people have taken action as a result of seeing that piece of print.
The return on investment for print can now also be properly measured. It is possible to work out exactly how much profit is generated by a print campaign.
The relative efficiency of print versus other channels can also be measured. E-mail may seem cheap. However, if it does not generate any revenue against specific target markets then it is a waste of money.
So now marketing teams and publishers can work out exactly how print measures up. They can understand exactly when it should be used in preference to other channels. And what profits they will gain from print. And I have no doubt that they will understand that print is still a vital medium to use to engage with people.
And there’s another reason why print will remain a vital medium.
3) In 2012 the environmental benefits of print will become understood
Measuring the environmental impact of work is becoming more important. People will begin to measure the environmental footprint of e-communication in more detail.
I believe that print will come out very well in comparisons. There is a huge long term impact of the server farms required for e-communication. And there is the issue of disposing of all the devices that read e-communication. In contrast, print is easily recyclable or compostable.
In 2012, I predict that claims that asking for e-communication as an environmentally friendly option will no longer be believed.
Of course my predictions may be wrong
But Nostradamus was notorious for accuracy and poor timing of his predictions. So I claim the same right to be inaccurate too!
P.S. If you want to find out if I’m right or not, and to read more about important trends in print, you should sign for my regular articles. You’ll also get a copy of “Ten Common Print Buying Errors And What To Do About Them”, worth £25, for free. Click here to get your copy.
