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Vox Pop: Will print really claw back the power?

By Naomi Taylor, Client Services Manager

Strawberry

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The Drum Network article

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September 3, 2015 | 5 min read

The print publication market is slumping as digital advancements take over the attentions of the nation. The UK’s national newspaper groups unite together in the £3m campaign to convince advertisers that print still has the power to connect with audiences. The 'Nothing works like news works' campaign will be running via print and digital channels. One ad shows TV news presenters at a desk covered in newspapers beneath the headline: ‘the front page news on TV every night? Ours.” highlighting that the papers are the news themselves. This morning’s papers have demonstrated just that by coming together in the call for European leaders, namely Cameron, to take on the duty to provide sanctuary for refugees crossing the Mediterranean, the front pages of the papers calling a nation to arms. The Drum Network asked its members if they believe the £3m campaign can claw back the power of print. Can this ad campaign convince advertisers that print is still a worthwhile investment?

Craig Lazenby, PR & marketing consultant, Strawberry

Print can beat a new dog with old tricks. The ‘nothing works like news works’ campaign is a step in the right direction. Instead of running to the hills in the face of further digital advances, print needs to realise what it is good at and make a bit of a ‘news-stand’.

There is no doubt that newsprint is still the best place to read ‘old school’ journalism. A genre forced into retreat by the 24-hour news-cycle, loaded with fast-paced content that the internet does so well. However, news should occasionally be about slowing down, taking time, providing considered analysis, accepting that ‘...the best account is not always the first account,’ and just provoking thought. This kind of news need not compete with the internet for classified advertising, scope of audience, or being first. It should just be better.

Even in a fragile state, such stories in newspapers have a greater tangible impact than those that appear online. Technology can never replace the beauty of holding a paper, the physical act of turning each page, and being challenged in the ‘old fashioned way’ by serious journalism. This may not be the future, but it can be a part of it.

A broad niche that ensures that print will not die, just grow old gracefully.

Saman Mansourpour, managing director, AgencyUK

Where TV has been found to be a complimentary media channel to online, press has seen a dramatic decline, cannibalised by free online content and plagued with dwindling readerships. Unfortunately, a bit like in the music industry, newspaper groups refused to acknowledge these behavioural changes and inflated their rate cards to help bridge the gaps in revenue. This did little but prey on the ignorant. So history lesson over. To answer the question, no! The people that plan and buy vast quantities of media already know who the newspaper groups are. They are sophisticated in their craft, shrewd in their plan and informed in their recommendations. They base their decisions on predictive data and price. So the advertising will no doubt do little but grab the attention of the smaller ignorant planner buyers that they preyed on before.

Eli Zhevela, campaign delivery manager, Vertical Leap

The fact that the newspapers will be using digital channels to run the campaign is a quiet acceptance of the fact that without digital the campaign is likely to fail. Nowadays, people rarely make decisions without doing a bit of browsing on the net. This means that even if they see an ad in the newspaper, they are likely to go online and find out more about it. Whilst doing that, if they see a competitor ad showing better prices for the services/product, they are likely to be drawn to that new ad. Then what? The advertisers have paid the cost of a newspaper ad, yet consumers go elsewhere. The newspapers should adapt to the changes and push their websites instead. That will keep eco-activists happy-as less trees will be killed, advertisers happy- as marketing costs will be lower, and consumers happy- as they will still enjoy their favourite newspaper on the go.

Alastair Marchant, Chapter head, Chapter

Frankly, I feel this campaign highlights a worrying naiveté on the part of the newspaper groups. As marketers, we are blessed with an exponentially increasing variety of platforms, media and techniques to reach our audiences. And more and more, the environment – where the ad is placed – is becoming far less important than who is going to see it. Developments such as programmatic, VOD and AdSmart are allowing us to target the exact audience we wish to target, with precious little regard to what content our message is served alongside. I don’t doubt the influence that news brands have with their readers, nor the attention they garner. What I do question is the news brands’ understanding that their platforms need to integrate with an advertiser’s targeting, rather than the other way around. So yes, newspapers and the role they fit into are important. And it looks like I’ll be reminded by a whole variety of channels…

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Strawberry

Strawberry was established in 1993 and is a full-services creative digital agency with a team of 37 highly talented staff.

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Vertical Leap

We are an evidence-led search marketing agency that helps brands get found online, drive qualified traffic to their websites and increase conversions/sales.

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AgencyUK

We’re an independent brand communications agency voted Ad Agency of The Year 2019 and Brand Strategy Agency of the Year 2020 by Drum Recommends. Our services span...

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