UPM has been helping publishers deliver print products for many years, in a sustainable fashion.
All forms of media consumption have an ecological impact. In Germany, for example, people spend an average of 30 minutes a day reading news articles. The ecological impact is higher, however, if they spend this time on electronic devices instead of reading news in print. Electronic devices consume energy continuously to keep the content available and updated.
Ruud van den Berg, Senior Vice President of Magazines, Merchants and Office at UPM Communication Papers, says: In Germany, a newspaper is read on average by three consumers, which makes it ecologically more favourable than e-news.
“The ecological footprint of print media consumption is even lower when there are several people who read the same newspaper or magazine within a household — a very typical situation — and then recycle the paper afterwards. In this respect, print outperforms online devices.”
Responsible footprint is an important part of paper and print media during times when consumers are more and more conscious of their choices. However, it is also content and especially personalised content that matters.
“Publishers and retailers have realised the importance of personalising their content and making it relevant for their key target audiences. In general, approximately 70 per cent of consumers keep sales catalogues in their homes for over a month, and as many as 34 per cent keep them for over a year. The interest to buy is generated by the print catalogue and then the customer can do the purchasing online 24/7 or visit their closest store”, van den Berg notes.
When looking at trends with regards to consumers the retail segment continues to be strong. “Retailers have recognized that weekly advertising needs to be on the kitchen table. It is the only way to effectively convey their weekly offering. Print advertisements continue to hold high attention values when compared to many other forms of media”, van den Berg explains.
Print also continues to play an important role in forming and shaping communities. “There are a lot of small independent magazines that continue to create vibrant and strong global communities around specific topics”, says van den Berg. “Print has always brought people together”, van den Berg adds.
It is an interesting development that even Amazon has opened traditional book stores again. “This is a clear signal that people enjoy reading from paper and that printed magazines, newspapers and books create haptic experiences that cannot be replaced solely by digital content.”