Repositioning The Printing Industry In Nigeria: The Issues, The Strategies

The Challenge, the Imperative

The task of repositioning the printing industry in the wake of competing digital media is an imperative for stakeholders in Nigeria's printing industry. At the global level, considerable efforts have been made in this regard. Two core strategies have been adopted with considerable success. The first is promoting print as a viable and effective medium in a multimedia age while the second involves adopting a paradigm shift in the business models used by printing firms. However, this piece focuses on the first strategy.

Promoting the Use of Print

Two organizations - the Print Media Academy (a subsidiary of the German printing equipment manufacturer Heidelberg) and the faculty of Advertising and Marketing Communication of Stuttgart Media University- carried out a joint study that revealed that print's strength is not in any way ebbing out. The study, titled 'The strengths of print for branding and corporate communication' noted that 'print media are consolidating their role as a contextual information platform.'

According to the research report, print has the ability to sustain and precisely address target groups, among other things. Let us look at some examples. The readers of daily newspapers mainly want to learn about current events and form opinions about social, political and economic issues. Newspapers offer the benefit of getting detailed information and background because they have the credibility and seriousness which can give readers direction in contemporary society.

Magazines, on the other hand, are popular for their in-depth information, their entertainment value and the enjoyment they provide for readers. Their conceptually and visually attractive content gives them the edge. The Print Media Academy report, therefore argues that print, from the standpoint of marketing and advertising, is especially attractive for the following reasons:

i) Print advertising is not annoying. It is a contact medium that is consciously allowed. Recipients are addressed while they are in a calm state of mind for reading, thus enhancing the impact of advertising.

ii) Also, print advertising conveys exclusivity, seriousness and information in connection with leading brands and products.

The Print Media Academy submits that: 'When it comes to selectively publishing and commenting on information, traditional media are unbeatable. Their competence has a special appeal, trust and responsibility, truth and clarity'.

The Strengths of Print Media
Another body dedicated to promoting the greater use of print is The Print Council. The Council's 'Print in the Mix' research project (available at http://printinthemix.rit.edu) is managed at Rochester Institute of Technology and supported by six universities from around the US and Canada. As The Print Council noted, 'we tend to overlook the impact and power of print because it is been around for so long as the world's number one communications medium. However, that could be fatal to a marketing campaign, a product launch or a branding initiative that has been connecting with people has its objectives.' The Council's publication 'Why print? The Top Ten ways print helps you prosper' contains data that corroborates the Print media Academy's position on the strength of print. The report reveals some other advantages in favour of print and these include:

i) Print is portable
Print is the ultimate in portability and playability. Print can be consumed anywhere, at anytime: on trains, planes, automobiles, at the beach or in bed. Print is always there and always ready to instruct, inform and entertain.

Ii) Print drives a higher role
In terms of return on investment,printing is particularly persuasive as direct mail. A research by the Direct Marketing Association and the Wharton Economic Forecasting Associates indicates that 'U.S advertisers spend $167 per person in direct mail advertising to earn $2,095 worth of goods per person, scoring a return on investment of 13 to 1' The underlining reason as the study reveals is simple: people gravitate toward print.

iii) Print is beautiful
The products of print are more appealing and more compelling. With photos, and special effects drawing the eye to the printed content plus different types of papers and substrates, readers can't but help touch and feel the message. Thisleads to product/service enhancement as there is a special appeal and extra dimension that no other medium can impart.

iv) Print plays well with other media
According to the Print Council, 'the internet is cool. What's cooler is using a printed direct mail campaign to draw prospects to a personalized website, then following up with a printed thank you card or closer.' This assertion is based on a 2003 research published in the Journal of Advertising Research which examined the advertising impact on weekly sales of a pizza franchiezer. The study found out that the best combination of media in driving sales is direct mail and national TV advertising blended together. The print and broadcast duo doubled the impact of using any one medium alone.

V) Buyers seek print
Consumers seek print when they are ready to buy. A 2005 field study supports this fact. According to the Direct Marketing Association, the body that carried out the research, by scoring the primary channels for orders generated, 60% came from printed catalogs, 24% were inspired by retail settings and only 9% arrived via Internet. The study further stated that the percent of sales by channel also showed print's pulling power. Paper catalogs accounted for 42% of sales, retail 20%, websites 26% and other channels 12%. In addition, another landmark study, a 2006 study of newspaper readers sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America, showed that 78% of respondents reported that they use newspaper inserts to plan shopping and 76% say that these inserts have helped them save money.

vi) Print is credible
Ink-on-paper medium is believable; the reasons are not far fetched:Print is real, print is timeless, print is focused. These reasons explain the increasing number of marketers who now leverage on print's high credibility by using custom publication to get their messages to consumers. According to reports, more than 32 billion custom publications circulate annually in the United States (Custom publishing Review, 2006 Annual Report). The total expenditure on the medium, the report also indicates, amounted to $29.9 billion for the year. The researchers also found that 66% of people surveyed read custom publications and that 80% agreed that custom publications contain useful information.

vii) Print puts consumers in control
Telemarketing has been regarded as cold, intrusive, and consequently, its effectiveness has taken a nosedive. However, by adding print to the equation, some respite would sure come the way of telemarketers. This is done by sending personalized mails to prospects, who through these printed items, give their consent to be called as well as the best time they could be called. This way, there is a positive flow of information between marketers and the consumers.

viii) Print is personal
One of the newest kids on the block of printing technology is variable data printing with its one-to-one messaging techniques. With these, marketers can personalize each and every piece of the print campaign. According to a 2004 report by Interquest, the response rate for customized colour direct mail campaigns ranged from 6% to 75%, with an average of 21%. The response rates were, on average, 5.6 times higher for customized colour version than for simple mail merge applications (Quoted in the Print Council's report).

Repositioning as a Challenge
Overall, print enables marketers to personalize, individualize or customize. The more personal they get with consumers, the more they can inspire, and sell too. Apparently it is too soon to sound the death kneel of print. But then, print will only survive on the platform ofdigital technology. This places a big challenge at the doorsteps of printing companies in Nigeria - a challenge that can be summed up thus: Reposition or die!

Afolabi Teaches Digital Printing And Publishing At The Department Of Printing Technology, Yaba College Of Technology.