News brands are continuously evolving. From Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Instagram Stories, publishers are innovating at a fast pace to serve their readers and commercial interests alike.
As an industry that is constantly looking out for the next big thing, this blog post takes us back to where it all started with a look at the (often debated) power of the newspaper.
In a world of information overload and at times, poor content, newspapers offer diverse quality content for readers and a brand safe environment to advertise in for advertisers.
And readers know this: 11 million people pick up the newspaper every day. That is more than triple the number of Britons who watch Netflix daily! This translates into 21 million people every week, and the numbers are growing.
The “Get ready for Brexit” campaign’s print materials reached 26 million daily readers.
Data shows people are not only reading the newspaper, they are also spending more time with their newspapers. According to the latest IPA TouchPoints, on the days that people read the newspaper, they spend on average one hour and 11 minutes with their printed newspaper. That is 11 minutes longer than with the online version. This provides ample opportunity for editorial and commercial teams to engage with readers.
To inspire advertisers, here are a few powerful examples of how advertisers are utilising the power of print to communicate serious messages around the issues that matter:
The UK government’s “Get ready for Brexit” campaign recently launched ahead of this month’s Brexit date. The campaign featured in nearly all of the country’s national dailies, providing the government with access to nearly 26 million daily readers.
Climate strike print materials helped spread the message about the event held throughout the United Kingdom.
Another hot topic dominating headlines is climate change. In adverts aptly titled “Tick, tock,” the UK’s student climate network called on people up and down the country to join the global climate strike on September 20. In London alone, the strike attracted around 100,000 people.
Several brands, including Tesco, are using print ads to communicate their environmental impact.
“We’re slashing food waste” reads Tesco’s latest ad in the newspapers. The national supermarket chain pledges to ensure that no food safe enough to eat should go to waste. Other brands using newspapers to communicate about their impact on society include Simply Be, Royal College of Nursing, and Coca-Cola.
At a recent Media Leaders lunch in London, a fantastic panel featuring three of the United Kingdom’s leading female editors spoke about the continued strength of print. Although growth is in digital, they all agreed that there will always be people who still enjoy the newspaper. Therefore, advertisers should not forget the power that lies in print.
Quality content drives trust. Trust provides value.
Long may the newspaper reign!
Originally published on INMA.org.
