Print Goes Premium

Print’s not for everyone.

You don’t have to be a comms pro to know that print publications have seen a major decline in the last few decades.

Today, media companies and marketers are accepting a new reality in the print landscape.

Print publications have become something of a luxury item, like vinyl records or film cameras.

That’s the conclusion in a recent Bloomberg piece (behind a paywall, ironically). The article is definitely worth a read, and argues that today’s magazine readers are “disproportionately affluent and well-educated people who are generally willing to pay up for things they think are fancy or high quality or sophisticated.”

That’s good intel for publishers and media companies. But it’s critical for PR and advertising efforts, too.

Printing Money

There was a short window of time where print was still seen as more accessible than web. It was a way to reach older eyeballs. Today, the opposite is true. It’s younger, more affluent audiences who are more likely to leaf through a print publication.

Lots of brands are focused on those buyers, some aren’t. Either way, it’s good to have that audience in mind when you’re pitching a story for print or developing an ad concept.

At the same time, Bloomberg points out that print advertising has fewer potential downsides to digital placements. No one gets frustrated if the article in print is interrupted by a print ad. But people loathe popups. Print offers more control over the environment in which marketing messages are received.

That only matters if you’re reaching the audience you want to reach. Companies pay a premium to reach specific demographics in digital and social advertising. Knowing what role print can play in that strategy is important. Ultimately, predictable segmenting of the media landscape is a good thing for brands.

Meanwhile, newspapers and trade publications are navigating their own new normal in print and online. And the lines between brand and media company continue to blur. Case in point: Costco Connection has one of the largest print circulations of any magazine at more than 15 million readers.