At an event held at GEON’s Banksmeadow facility, APIA told industry representatives that this year’s aim of the ‘Paper: Part of Everyday campaign’ – to which APIA has pledged $100,000 a year – is to impact the communications and media decisions of the target audience and influence the attitudes of government, media and the public.

Tim Woods, principle of Fitzpatrick Woods Consulting – who is running the APIA campaign – told attendees that printed paper has a competitive advantage over digital as it is the only truly sustainable communications media available however that fact is being undersold.

He says, “When people think about paper they think about the fibre chain and most have serious misconceptions on the environmental impacts. The campaign is designed to go to the heart of what people think and feel about paper.”

Wood continues, “We have to get people past the judgments they make about paper. It’s not right that people think a certain media such as digital is more sustainable just because it’s newer. Reading the newspaper is not a guilty pleasure it’s a sustainable pleasure.”

APIA outlines that the main elements of the campaign include communicating and promoting the environmental credentials of paper-based communication, promoting the proven benefits and superiority of print as an advertising, educational and communication medium as well as educating governments so their policies reflect this.

The Association continues that as part of the minimum level campaign for 2010, members of APIA have committed to fund:

• Ongoing briefings and communications to industry organisations and companies

• Media monitoring and rapid responses

• Formal complaints

• Development of print ads for placement in industry publications

• Additional fact sheets and information for distribution to and by industry

• Industry leader opinion articles, speeches, presentations and media support as and when required

• Maintenance, coordination and management, including of website

Tim Woods also says the APIA campaign will first focus on changing perception within the print and paper industry before it takes on the opinion of the general public.

He says, “We need to start with our own industry. There has to be a public face to the campaign but the key target base is clients and potential clients of the print and paper industry. Change their perception and you begin to change the dynamics of the whole issue.”

APIA continues that the campaign action to date includes the logo and brand design, a new website which will act as an information and campaign hub, an independent report on printed communications, a number of industry and business briefings as well as two public image defence actions.

Also commenting at today’s event Bernard Cassell, president of APIA told attendees, “Our opposition seem to be able to gloss over the good things we do, so we need to our side out there. We don’t know the entire way forward but it’s the outcome we care about.

“This is an unashamed pitch to the industry to help us and donate some money.”

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