IPIA UK lay groundwork for print industry boost

The IPIA has unveiled its ground-breaking national print research and advocacy project, A New Narrative for Print. The project's primary aim is to positively shift the perception of print among UK consumers and businesses across a range of critical factors.

The research was conducted in partnership with communications agency Madano and made possible by a coalition of IPIA Members: Imprint MIS, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Epson, The Printing Charity and Citipost. 

The study, using 12,000 online conversations across social media, media outlets, blogs and forums and representing broad communities such as marketing, advertising, design, photography, fashion and textiles, provides insight in three main areas:

1. Perceptions

Mapping perceptions of the UK print industry across a range of key metrics using the agency’s specialist data science technology and analysis tools.

2. Key influencers

Identify key influencers who significantly sway the perception of the print industry and its products

3. Narrative

Analyse dominant narratives in the conversation around print.

Says Alasdair Browne, Vice Chair of the IPIA and Chair of its Research Subcommittee: "This project is a crucial step in understanding the dynamics of our industry. By identifying the key influencers and the narratives they are driving, we can also better position ourselves as an industry to respond to challenges and seize opportunities. The insights from this research will be instrumental in guiding our strategies and ensuring the continued relevance and growth of print.”

Current perception

The project’s development is supported by Carey Trevill, founder of Mission Element, a consultancy working across the marketing and advertising industry. She has a deep understanding of the effectiveness and potential of print as a marketing medium, especially when it is used within multi-channel campaigns

Following release of the study, a first step was to assess how the industry positions itself. Says Trevill: “The research has identified what is driving the narrative now is a defensive position, not one of promotion – as much as the print industry has engineered it to be positive.”

Examining how the industry is currently presenting, she explains the research identified some key themes in this regard:

• As an industry, it often speaks in defence of print – defending its traditional position against other media
• The industry drives and develops incredible innovation, and findings show we are ‘talking to ourselves’ about what’s possible and not breaking through to the right audiences
• The industry is desperate to show print is better than digital advertising or other forms of communication, rather than how it might work to enhance the effectiveness of those mediums
• Print can struggle to cut through and demonstrate why print is effective to those who should see our medium as a viable and engaging route to market
• Print needs and wants to show how sustainable a medium this is, but come up against significant, louder reasons of why this is a challenging idea or concept- even when we have better proof than other routes to market

Trevill continues: “We could shrug our shoulders and say ‘it’s just how it is’ – or we can get to the very root cause of what is really driving the conversation with our customers and consumers and instigate a shift change.

The narrative of print

Understanding these perceptions also requires to know what is being said about print? Below are a number of questions that were also raised to increase the level of insight in the audience.

Questions included:

• What is the level of conversation and general awareness of print out in our target print buying markets and amongst consumers?
• What is the perception of print’s effectiveness when used within a multi-channel marketing campaign?
• What is really influencing and motivating business to choose – or not – print when they consider their marketing methods?
• What is the view of digital and mainstream media’s effectiveness as a marketing and communications medium?
• What is the level of awareness about the career opportunities within the sector and its status as an advanced technology-driven industry?
• What is the true perception of print’s sustainability, measurability and its ROI?
• What is the status of trust when it comes to printed media vs digital?

“The good news is that the research is complete, and we’ve got the answers to the questions we raised. It told us many times over what print made happen – print made this experience, this emotion, this presence, this impact. It also showed us why print wasn’t considered as viable option, often in comparison with other media in relation to cost, complexity, ROI” says Trevill.

Print's uniqueness

The positive themes that came through from the mapping of thousands of online conversations around print, focussed on where potential and possibilities can be captured in a unique way.

• How to cut through noise to create a specific point in a diverse context
• The unique abilities of print to communicate purpose, impact, form, structure, texture; in ways other mediums cannot
• Connect audiences differently – and younger audiences who ‘discover’ printed elements that drive retention and recall

“All this means we can establish trust, credibility and immerse the recipient – but we are relying on the creators to both plan, produce and place print where it can convey the message or form that is chosen,” says Trevill.

The study also found the barriers for use of print among the largest group of print user areas (marketing, advertising, design):

1. print’s perceived inflexibility
2. print's ability to drive awareness vs action
3. the perception print is an expensive medium
4. print represents a resource heavy route to market
5. print is fundamentally viewed as unsustainable.

We have often mentioned the lack of knowledge of print among the younger generations present in the marketing and advertising industry. The IPIA study highlights the critical role the industry will play in educating current and future generations: “The knowledge of even to consider print as a medium is lacking in many areas – this presents us with a new generation who can reappraise the place of print. The biggest unknown here is that print has, for some, never been present." says Trevill.

Top influencers

The study identified a group of 50 top industry influencers across four sectors, with marketing and advertising representing just under half of this group. Negative comments coming from the marketing and advertising group were limited and centred on sustainability which could be defined as 'ideological'.

Engagement with print within the marketing and advertising industry is low, with poor engagement and consideration for print within the marketing mix. Communication about print is generated by the industry and the study shows its impact on the intended audience and decision makers is limited.

By obtaining an accurate picture of how the print industry and its products are perceived – and by identifying the individuals and organisations driving these perceptions – the IPIA and its partners can develop a long-term strategy to strengthen the print market in the UK.

Ultimately, by increasing the positive perception of print’s effectiveness, sustainability and positive contribution to society, the result will be an uplift in both businesses and consumers utilising print as a marketing and communications medium.

The study’s findings have now equipped the IPIA and its partners with the knowledge needed to develop a series of positives narratives that tell the story of print’s effectiveness, sustainability and beneficial impact on culture, society and the arts.