Don't Stop the Presses
Category: Blog - April 07, 2008
There’s no escaping the impact the online world is having on traditional media. Advertising revenue and subscription numbers at stalwart dailies have been declining for years, and now it seems local TV network news is even at risk. Just last week CBS cut more than 100 staffers, including high-profile positions such as lead anchors in Chicago and San Francisco and longtime Minneapolis weatherman Paul Douglas.
Is this the end of the media you need to either tune in to or flip pages?
Not at all, according to recent surveys examining the relationship consumers are having with traditional outlets. A recent MediaVest study indicates print is a more trusted source of information today than the Internet. The research also pointed out that only 12 percent of respondents said they believed that a publisher’s website could replace the print product within the next five years.
So why is this – with all of the hype about online dominating marketing strategies – shrinking ad sales, media mergers and layoffs? Obviously there’s a significant adjustment period taking place to align media organizations with the level of consumption they’re seeing. But that doesn’t mean you’ll find newsstands empty anytime soon. The personal, physical and even intimate relationship consumers are having with print cannot be replaced.
Sally Singer, fashion and features director at Vouge said in a recent New York Odserver article, “The strength of our magazine is that it’s not disposable and clickable. It’s a fundamentally different experience from reading online.”
I’d agree. And as we continue to develop strategic communications plans to best reach target audiences, I feel it’s safe to say that we cannot quickly ignore the strength and value of traditional media channels. If we do, we just might be missing readers at one of the most meaningful moments of brand engagement afforded to us.
As I write this post sitting outdoors using wireless Internet access, I’m looking forward to shutting down, pouring a glass of wine and losing myself in a stack of magazines sitting next to me and catching up on the latest gadgetry according to Details magazine.
Jason Schumann
Account Director
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