Printers can access market research to educate potential customers about print’s effectiveness with the launch of the Value of Paper and Print (VoPP) campaign.
The industry initiative spearheaded by Two Sides Australia provides research studies, marketing information, and briefings for print sales staff at companies that sign up, with memberships starting at $250 for small businesses.
Two Sides executive director Kellie Northwood says every print and paper company should sign up for the campaign to help their businesses.
“The VoPP campaign offers both quantitative and qualitative research toassist printers develop a compelling argument for print in their sales discussions,” she says.
“It will demonstrate to existing or prospective customers why they should be investing their marketing budgets in print campaigns.
“Information is critical when competing with other channels and many printers don’t have significant marketing departments anymore because of costs so this will help.”
[Vote now for the ProPrint Power 50]
So far 39 printers and suppliers have taken up membership, including Australia’s three biggest printers, paper merchants, and Heidelberg.
One of them is Adelaide printer Finsbury Green, whose chief executive Peter Orel has recently joined the Two Sides board.
“For a long time, Finsbury Green has been a primary leader in our industry when it comes to environmental initiatives. On the issue of print being a valuable marketing channel we felt that a combined effort would achieve greater results for us,” he says.
“The VoPP campaign provides facts on the value of paper and print for marketers (our clients), who we hope to re-educate on this topic with this campaign.”
IPMG print chief executive Craig Dunsford says Two Sides, of which his company is one of the founding members, is delivering significant results and the VoPP campaign as an important next step in promoting the positives the industry has to offer.
“Ultimately, our industry will increase its share of the marketing budgets currently being allocated across many different channels,” he says.
“We believe the campaign will achieve this through providing media buyers with credible and meaningful data that addresses their own campaign goals.
“The campaign will challenge people’s attitudes and perceptions about print – despite being considered traditional media, the positive results of using print in combination with new media are significant.
“Unlike many other campaigns, this one targets the people responsible for delivering results to their customers – those who select and nominate the channels that they believe will achieve this.”
Digitalpress managing director Theo Pettaras says it is really important that the public knows the value of print, particularly its environmental record.
“People have ill-informed views about the environmental value of print,” he says.
“Every second email I get says not to print it out to save paper, while we use up so much energy with digital devices.”
Pettaras says he uses the research from the campaign in his print marketing. “I use it to educate myself, my staff, and my customers,” he says.
[Related: More paper news]
Northwood says a campaign like this for print is ‘well overdue’ as other mediums like outdoor, TV and radio have been running them for a long time.
“As an industry our main competitors are other media channels and we need to define our strengths with a common language when working with media buyers, marketers and brand owners,” she says.
“It is aimed at educating buyers on the important role print continues to play in delivering significant returns on marketing investment.
“VoPP highlights print’s relevance in a landscape with a multitude of choices and will assist marketers to use print effectively within their multi-channel mix.
“Marketers know print is effective, but they haven’t had anything from us to back it up. Printers have come together and decided we need to stand up and have our own response.”
PIAA chief executive Bill Healey says the campaign is an outstanding example of how the industry can work together for the ongoing promotion of paper and print.
“The report includes Australia-centric and internationally sourced information to make sure the credentials of paper and print can be easily and graphically understood by media buyers, designers and creative agencies as well as by the general population to help them to appreciate its valuable role in the digital age,” he says.
“We can now be on front foot promoting the strengths of print supported by research, data, case studies highlighting the effectiveness of print; it’s return on investment and the creative effects that can be achieved through paper and print that cannot be replicated solely by electronic communications.”
The campaign launch coincides with the publication of the Industry Report 2014, which collates data and research focussing on the strength of print media across efficacy, path to purchase, brand, return on investment, in situ and sustainability.
[Related: More Two Sides news]
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter