PrintNZ and TRMC NZ joined forces recently to help print industry members promote their products and capabilities.
Ruth Cobb, chief executive at PrintNZ, welcomed over 50 industry members to an afternoon event at Sorrento in Auckland. She said, “It is vital that print buyers and consumers understand how print is sustainable and how effective it is as a medium.
She also introduced the audience to Kellie Northwood, chief executive at TRMC NZ, saying, “Kellie is an absolute advocate for print and has curated programmes such as VoPP and Two Sides for a long time.”
Northwood had earlier in the day spent time with agencies and print buyers discussing many of the issues covered in the later session, where she stressed the importance of getting the positive messages about print out there.
“However, it is all well and good to invest in programmes that promote the industry, but we need people in the industry out there at the coalface. We have built the stats and now we want you to amplify the messages that we have. For example, we have 35 to 40 thousand kiwis working in the industry.”
She showed two videos that challenge the myths that we see in the industry. She said, “I am hearing how our customers have stopped and us or them. They have stopped the ‘digital only’ attitude. Print did get swept up into quite a defensive space, but we don’t need to defend. We are really in a ‘normal’ period, coming out of theCovid-19 pandemic.
“Whatever channel a marketer uses they will want it to optimise the messaging that they want to use. As printers, we need to talk to the agencies in the language that they use. I have read the case studies, and we want all the sales teams across the industry to also read them so that you can respond authentically to these questions.
“We are both manufacturers of print and one of the largest media channels out there. We can feel confident in the efficacy and reach of our medium. In fact, print is so visible that it is almost invisible. How many times during the day do we see something that is printed?
“All the research shows that print carries higher recall than other media. The magazines that have gone digital have returned to print. Digital has a wonderful connectivity. Print and digital are the most complementary media because they don’t compete with each other. For example, QR codes and augmented reality offer a great opportunity for print and digital to work together.”
