A question of sensuality

More than 130 years ago—in 1887, to be exact—the English gentleman Frank Smythson opened his first boutique on London’s Bond Street. There, he offered top-quality stationery and writing supplies. And you know what? The company he founded back then still exists today and publishes high-quality print products.

«When someone picks up a print magazine, their brain switches to »strolling mode.'"

One reason for this long-standing success is that, unlike with online publications, we cannot escape the tactile appeal of print. Because print represents something different, something more glamorous—a cultural asset. And because, unlike online, we come across important content without having actively sought it out. Nevertheless, in the age of electronic media—and especially the World Wide Web—print media are becoming thinner and less common. But print has lost none of its appeal thanks to its multisensory experience, which includes touch and even smell. On the contrary.

An Experience for All the Senses

It is a fact that our perception is guided not only by our sense of sight, but by all of our senses—and here, the sense of touch plays a decisive role. Welcome to the world of multisensory experiences! As a journalist, I’ve always sensed it, but I couldn’t explain it: Print has a credibility, an authority, that the internet lacks. Print is sexy.

Now, the latest findings from neuromarketing confirm exactly this observation. Neuromarketing pioneer Hans-Georg Häusel says in an interview on the topic of print media in the magazine «Visuelle Kommunikation»: «We now know from brain and motivation research that when someone picks up a printed magazine, their brain switches to »strolling mode.’ They are relaxed and absorbing the content. Print is a kind of wellness for the brain.” That is why the marketing departments of all the world’s major brands are exploring how our unconscious emotions can be leveraged to influence purchasing decisions. According to Hans-Georg Häusel, the situation is different with smartphones or tablets. Users want to reach a goal relatively quickly, and that creates a kind of stress.

Hans-Georg Häusel says in the magazine Print media: «Digital possibilities are changing rapidly, but the human brain isn’t changing that easily. That’s why print can do many things simply better than digital media.»

The authority of print media remains unchallenged. Familiar and well-known media (Note: cultural heritage!) are considered more credible than the internet.

According to the Swiss Association for Visual Communication, print media has about seven times the impact on customer loyalty as digital media. Print advertising has a longer-lasting effect than TV commercials. Studies show that, proportionally, more people remember printed images and their messages than they do a short commercial. They are read, leafed through again, and read once more. This long-term visibility is also referred to as the “social authority” of magazines. We encounter them everywhere: while commuting on the train, in waiting rooms, while shopping, and so on. As a result, print has the most lasting impact of all media.

«The power of print in brand building will never be replaced by the internet or video.»

Print media are often handled by multiple people and picked up repeatedly. The key difference between print and online media is that in print, you often come across things you weren’t looking for—including advertisements.

The Renaissance of Print

Print magazines have endured a commercial decline, but not a decline in their reputation as a cultural asset. They have another, cultural dimension—not just a commercial one. Print has the ability to appeal to and reach the deepest recesses of our unconscious emotions.

As media history has shown, new media do not simply replace tried-and-true forms of media. Television did not make radio obsolete. On the contrary, neither the compact disc nor iTunes caused vinyl to disappear. They coexist.

The online world has many advantages. These are now also being leveraged for innovations in print media. Print has learned from online media; for example, PDF documents now use hyperlinks, just like online content.

Bringing Brands to Life

But even so, print doesn't just work when it brings the print and online worlds together. In 1996, Internet pioneer Peter Turi launched Kress.de, perhaps the most widely read online media newsletter in the German-speaking world. Nevertheless, in an interview on Buchmarkt.de, he explains that videos, for example, help his books—not the other way around.

«The power of print when it comes to brand building, inspiration, and creating lasting experiences will never be replaced by the internet or video. We’ve noticed that our advertising business on the online service turi2.de has picked up significantly ten years after its launch. Simply because the print magazine brings the turi2 brand world to life. The fact that we had 20,000 media decision-makers who were curious about our print product naturally helped at the start—especially in securing ads, buyers, and contacts for the first issue.»

As a journalist, I don't just read books and magazines—I edit them. But never the title page or the book jacket. That would be sacrilege. Their authority remains sacrosanct. Quality never goes out of style.

Epilogue: Everything's digital, right? Relax!

In an interview in the «Print Media» section of baselwest.ch, Hans-Georg Häusel comments on the media habits of the much-discussed millennial generation: «According to our research, even young readers of lifestyle magazines find print more relaxing than an iPad edition. Even digital natives are better able to unwind with a printed magazine.»

Marco Bieri on Print

«People long for emotions and real experiences.»

Marco Bieri is the chair of the leadership team of the Swiss Print Award. For him, paper has something magical about it. People long for emotions and real life, and that’s what you find in the tactile quality of print.

m&k: Marco Bieri, how have expectations for print changed?

Marco Bieri: Print has changed for the better! It might sound a bit absurd, but digitization has drastically shifted the way people pay attention to print! Many companies have come to appreciate and rediscover the value of print. The public is growing weary of the flood of newsletters and digital advertising.

Where do you see opportunities for print media?

Print is tangible! Printed material can let us see, hear, feel, and taste. It engages all the senses. Humans are multisensory beings who still yearn for emotions and real-life experiences! No other medium can achieve what paper does through its tactile qualities. It adds value to communication, enhances quality, supports a company’s unique identity, and ensures the right image is conveyed.

Where is there still potential for the Print Award?

There’s still a lot of potential here! The Swiss Print Award aims to establish itself as a platform for knowledge and expertise. The goal is to continue expanding this event. It’s conceivable that lectures, panel discussions, or hands-on sessions could be held in the lead-up to the Swiss Print Award. However, the platform should also offer opportunities for networking. The actual «purpose and reason» for the event, though, remain the awards themselves!

What is your personal view on the future of print?

Digitalization has transformed the graphic arts industry enormously over the past 10–15 years and will continue to do so. But it is precisely this challenge that drives print forward. New and different opportunities for print are emerging! Who would have thought that we could create our own personalized postcard on our phone and send it to our loved ones right from a beach chair?! Print isn’t dying! Print will survive—just in a different way.

Impact: Why Print Works

1. An experience for all the senses: Print enables multisensory experiences: It appeals not only to the audience’s sense of sight but also to their sense of touch.
2. Brain in Stroll Mode: Research on the brain and motivation shows that when someone picks up a print magazine, their mind switches to «browsing mode.» They are relaxed and absorb the content.
3. Finding what you weren't looking for: In print media, you can also find things you weren't necessarily looking for: inspiration, topics you hadn't come across before, and—yes!—even ads that grab your attention.
4. Print leaves a lasting impression: The Swiss Association for Visual Communication knows that print media has up to seven times the impact on customer loyalty than digital media.