International Print Day
National print day occurred every forth Tuesday in October and originated in America in response to Toshiba’s “No Print Day” (which they quickly cancelled!). National Print Day aimed to promote print as a sustainable and responsible medium.
Then it went a bit quiet. So, in 2014, International Print Day was born with the mission to educate about print and provide global networking in the field. Organised by Print Media Centr, 2016 sees International Print Day celebrating print through the theme of #PrintSmart.
#PrintSmart relates to educating on how print has become a central part in the digital age.
The day can help to:
- Dispel the myths and promote the facts about print.
- Prove the power behind print.
- Promote using print with digital communications. Together they attract more custom as well as providing information across different platforms.
So on the 19th October, 2016, jump on Twitter and trend the planet with #printsmart!
So, what are the myths and facts about print?
There are quite a few myths portraying print and paper as evil villains. Using paper means no trees, right?
Paper is a not only a renewable resource, but it is also produced with over 60 percent of recycled materials.
Between 2005 & 2015, European forests grew by an area the size of Switzerland. That’s 1,500 football pitches every day!
Paper is one of the most recycled products with 72% being recycled in Europe.
84% of the industry’s raw materials come from Europe.
For every tree that is cut from a managed forest, several more are replanted or naturally regenerated from tree seeds on the forest floor.
Being digital doesn’t automatically mean you are being green. Consider your carbon footprint. You generate more than you realise. A single tweet generates .02 grams of CO21. With millions of tweets sent every day, the total CO2 given off can hit tens of metric tonnes. But being digital also means being better connected.
When it boils down to the environmental impact it is important to know the facts. If you want to explore further, Two Sides produce an informative fact sheet featuring the myths and facts surrounding print. If you would like to receive a copy of this, please get in touch. There is also an interesting infographic about digital carbon footprints at FuelFighter: www.fuelfighter.co.uk/blog/the-carbon-footprint-of-the-digital-age
Incidentally, if you would like to explore how you could make your printed material carbon neutral give one of the team at Synergy a call.
The power of print
Paper has been the communication channel of choice for around 2000 years. Despite people predicting its death when the digital age began to take hold, print remains steadfast and firm. Printed materials engage an audience differently to its digital cousin. The look, the feel and the scent of the paper stimulate the senses and trigger an emotional attachment in the brain.
Where email inboxes are flooded with spam and messages promising wealth in exchange for your bank details, your letterbox is predominantly less pestered. A personalised mailer to your home secures your complete attention as opposed to several flashing adverts on a screen.
Recent studies have also shown students prefer a printed course book to a digital one2. Other studies suggest that we remember more when reading from paper material.
Digital buddy instead of digital rival
When combined with the power of digital channels, print comes alive and brands are only just starting to see the potential. Data collected by brands about consumers allows us to put a completely relevant message in the hands of a customer, not only that but they can do it at exactly the right time. ROI and response rates can rocket as a result.
Research3 shows that using both channels in harmony results in:
13% more consumers visited the senders website
21% consumers made purchases
35% more consumers redeemed vouchers
If you want to have a chat about how we can help you to integrate your marketing campaigns and use print and digital in harmony, why not give us a call or pop in for a cuppa?
We love to talk about all things print!
- Jaymi Heimbuch “Twittering Adds How Much to Your Carbon Footprint?”
Treehugger, April 19, 2010, accessed February 20, 2012. - www.infotoday.eu/Articles/Editorial/Featured-Articles/University-students-prefer-print-over-electronic-formats-112355.aspx
- Private Life of Mail, Royal Mail MarketReach, 2015
