TRMC partners with paper association to defend print

The Real Media Collective (TRMC) is continuing to confront ongoing environmental misrepresentations of the paper and print industries and is partnering with the Australasian Paper Industry Association (APIA) to promote print and its effectiveness to those that control corporate marketing budgets.

The campaign consists of an Industry Insights Series, which will explore key areas of effectiveness to ensure print remains important in the marketing mix.

The first in the series, ‘Navigating Through A Pandemic’, will cover the importance of print during COVID and how to strengthen brands in recovery.

TRMC members will be able to access these Insights Series papers – prior to public release – and use them as a base for customer discussions. A media campaign will also be developed.

Supermarket giant, Coles, recently sent a shockwave through the printing industry with its decision to no longer print in high-volume and distribute its weekly catalogue to Australian letterboxes from September 9 this year.

Part of the justification to adopt an enhanced digital engagement strategy was that it would help the environment and save trees.

APIA and TRMC partner to defend print

TRMC launched a quick offensive against these claims, gaining coverage in The Australian, The Australian Financial Review and on-air on the Seven Network as well as local radio in Melbourne.

To continue the push to promote print and paper to marketing decision-makers, TRMC issued a ‘call to arms’ for other associations to get on board and APIA did not hesitate to support the initiative with funding.

APIA is made up of paper companies: Antalis, Ball & Doggett, Direct Paper, Elof Hanssen, Norske Skog, Opal (Australian Paper), Sappi Fine Paper and UPM Kymmene. All of these organisations already have long partnerships with the Two Sides environmental campaign that TRMC holds the regional licence of.

“Our industry has long endured claims that paper is bad for the environment which is simply untrue. Paper comes from a renewable resource, tree farms are important carbon sinks and household paper product recycling rates in Australia is one of the highest in the world at 87 per cent,” TRMC CEO Kellie Northwood said.

“We have held a working partnership with APIA for many years and it is these projects, when the paper and print sectors can partner with a united goal to defend the industry, that these partnerships are most important.

“I would like to personally thank each and every APIA board member company for not only supporting the industry campaign with this funding, but also for the unanimous support they all provided. It really is a welcome support from our print members and broader industry during this time when we have been treated unfairly.”

Key stakeholders include: Professor Phillip Lawrence who is broadly known for his expertise as a sustainability expert across paper substrates and Malcolm Auld, an industry advocate and marketing lecturer at University of Technology, Sydney. International research from Peter Field, Les Binet and Mark Ritson will also be included.

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