When print matters

The question about print is no longer why, but when.

As the digital landscape has widened over the past decade, organisations have rightly reassessed the role of print within their communications strategies.

For some, the conclusion has seemed obvious. For many forms of communication, digital is unquestionably the better choice. Why produce a printed product when you can reach a wider audience instantly and more affordably through websites or an endless assortment of social media platforms?

The obituaries quickly followed: “Printing is dead; long live LinkedIn!”

While such doom-mongering has proved premature, the printing world has needed to evolve in response to digital. Production is more efficient, more flexible and, in many cases, more sustainable than it was 20 years ago. Advances in digital printing and finishing have broadened the possibilities of print.

Yet while the technology has changed, many of print’s defining qualities remain the same – the tactile experience of something you can hold; the permanence of something you can keep and revisit; an immersive reading environment.

So, in many ways, the ‘why’ is the easy part. The question now – to mangle a line from a playwright who enjoyed a popularity boom thanks to huge advances in the printing press – is when to do it: to print or not to print?

When the choice of medium becomes part of the message

This is a key talking point whenever we sit down with a client at the start of a new project. We need to establish what they want to achieve and who they want to reach. Only then can we decide whether print, digital or a combination of the two is the right answer.

From video storytelling and email newsletters to social media campaigns, digital gives organisations a platform to reach their audience in all kinds of engaging ways. Very often, we find that it’s the preferred path.

Print, however, offers something different. A printed publication provides the space and structure for carefully curated storytelling and considered design, allowing readers to absorb complex information or reflect on key decisions at their own pace. This is particularly important when it comes to, say, an annual report or governance review where the content and context mean far more than a snappy headline or attention-grabbing photo. Research suggests that many readers are able to better comprehend longer informational texts on paper than on screen, particularly when under time pressure.

The choice of medium becomes part of the message itself. Many of the reports we create focus on themes that are central to an organisation’s identity and values. Whether an impact report, a commemorative book or a sustainability strategy, the editorial quality, typography, paper choice and photography all contribute to how readers perceive a publication and, in turn, the organisation behind it.

So, when a publication is communicating detailed information or reflecting the significance of an organisation’s work, print often provides the right medium and a suitable level of gravitas. And while the text may be the main event, the layout of a printed page gives designers freedom to help readers digest the messaging. A pullout stat here, an explainer infographic there – a variety of techniques help draw attention to a central theme or standout piece of data,

An integrated communications approach

In many ways, digital can play the same role. We often find that the strongest communication is when print and digital go hand in hand. We can get a printed report in the hands of a select target audience at a General Assembly, then extend its reach through bite-sized content such as a highlights video or social media posts.

It works both ways. If an organisation is reluctant to produce a large print run of a 100-page publication, a better solution may be a digital-only report or microsite, complemented by a concise printed brochure for distribution at conferences or stakeholder events.

Whether the headline act or the supporting cast, print remains an important card in an organisation’s integrated communications strategy. Like any good poker player, the skill lies in knowing when to play it.