EDITOR'S notebook
Future of Print Extends Beyond PI 400 Printers
Although this special issue features our annual ranking of the 400 largest printing companies in the United States and Canada based on annual sales, the future of print itself is a topic that's just as important to the quick printer located in Anytown USA as it is to the establishments that made the Printing Impressions 400 list. Printers of all sizes must unite to support various initiatives that help promote our industry.
One still-emerging effort is The Print Council, a business development initiative dedicated to promoting the greater use of print media through education, awareness, market development, advocacy and research. With the support of printer members RR Donnelley, Quad/Graphics, Cenveo, PIP Printing, Williamson Printing, Sandy Alexander and the Sheridan Group, the Council also has the backing of industry vendors such as Heidelberg, Xerox, MAN Roland, Kodak Versamark, EFI and International Paper, among others. And various associations—some that sponsor their own programs to build industry awareness—have also joined the effort, including PIA/GATF, NAPL, NPES, Xplor International and the EMA Foundation.
Founded in October of 2003, The Print Council highlighted its recent activities during a press conference at Graph Expo last October. These include the establishment of an executive committee and marketing chairperson, an alliance with the U.S. Postal Service, as well as a b-2-b advertising campaign targeted at media specifiers (created pro bono by Thad Kubis of NAK Marketing & Communications). And, just last month, the group appointed Marty Maloney, chairman of Broadford & Maloney, as executive director.
Since the future of print is a cause that affects all of us, The Print Council deserves our full support. For more information, contact the Council by calling (650) 697-6671, on the Web at www.theprintcouncil.org, or by e-mail at info@theprintcouncil.org.
Another noteworthy cause is the "Life with Print" brand campaign launched last spring by Sappi Fine Paper North America. The multimillion-dollar campaign kicked off with a book that provides case histories and hard data about the advantages of print in reaching consumers and in building brands. Even more beneficial, Sappi "Life with Print" ad inserts have also run in Fortune, Forbes, Ad Week and Ad Age.
In addition, Sappi hosted a "Future of Print in the Information Age" panel discussion for corporate advertising and marketing execs in New York last month, which was moderated by Fortune Senior Editor Geoff Colvin. Panelists were Jack Kliger, president and CEO, Hachette Publishing; Guy Gleysteen, VP of paper and digital development at Time Inc.; and Roy Grossman, president and CEO, Sandy Alexander.
Kliger stressed the importance of convincing media buying agencies—today's new strategists—to commit larger percentages of ad budgets into print. Whereas creative directors at agencies used to dictate how clients' advertising dollars were spent, he says the new paradigm works in favor of print. And recent research, he adds, indicates that the ROI and engagement factors among readers of print are much stronger than other media. With this good news, the printing industry needs to mobilize and spread the word—in a more consistent, unified fashion—about the everlasting power of print.
Mark T. Michelson
