Saying that print will go away is like saying that painting will be replaced by sculpture. There are certainly more dimensions to sculpture and it is more tactile, but the constraints and effect of painting overwhelmingly hold our interest.
Surviving requires evolving
No one media stands alone anymore. In order for both a media-type and a campaign to succeed there must be:
1- An understanding of each media-type’s strengths, weaknesses and inherent objectives
2- An understanding of how to integrate media-types
3- An understanding of how to measure individual and integrated media-types.
Sounds simple enough, but a quick look through your local magazine stand will bring to the fore magazine after magazine acting as if a URL mention was akin to an “integrated content strategy.” The evolution of print design is as much about the operational side of print as it is the contextual side. Publishing frequency, writing style and design have all been forced to adopt more web-like strategies and techniques.
While the doomsday-speak of print and reduction of publication frequency is a financial decision, it is also a logistical shift of dollars from one media-type to another. But the transition is not as much away from print to the web as it is to the web, to take place in a different type of conversation with readers/users.
Print represents and presents brand ideology without a feedback loop or a CMS — the web embraces that feedback loop. Sometimes you need that “this is what we believe and it isn’t up for discussion” channel. Other times you need to engage your audience. A comprehensive content strategy negates an either/or scenario between print and web and embraces all media types. The challenge is integrating a declarative media-type (print) with an interrogative media-type (web).
The action of keeping magazines on your shelf is very different from saving bookmarks in your browser.
Integration requires convergence
At the core of the print to web conversation is content development and content gathering tailored by media type. This primary hurdle is often difficult for organizations as it requires a retooling of resources, operations and commitment to print/digital convergence. Additionally, new devices and media types are not requirements. I recently overheard the following statement: “We need our magazine on the Kindle, who can do that?” I couldn’t help thinking, “Why?”
Why should begin every conversation, how comes next, followed by another “why”, then when followed by “why,” etc. Why never stops providing value, especially as it relates to cross-channel content development and the integration of media types. The most common example of forgetting to ask “why” is the print magazine PDF link being proffered as a digital edition of a magazine. A close second is the iPad version of a website that is just a smaller, less functional version of the website. What is lacking in both of these examples is contextual relevance and an understanding of the relationship between the user, the content and the device.
It is better to chase change than have it chase you.
— Ian
Keep an eye out for Print to Web – #3 (How to ensure print and web get along).