Chris Anderson (Wired): some print is dead

At the Creativity World Forum I asked Chris Anderson about the future of print media. His answer that some print is dead balances the consumer interest on one hand and the print media characteristics on the other. Newspapers deliver news that is at least 10 hours old, the internet brings it instantaneously. Anderson believes that newspapers will therefore die. Weekly magazines will have a difficult time, monthly magazines have a stronger position. They can exploit the fact that readers are interested in analysis and depth and appreciate the general lay out of magazines. Anderson supported this with his own magazine Wired; stories in Wired are up to 8000 words and the design of graphs and pages add to the depth of the articles. Wired has tried to translate the same reading experience to the web but didn't succeed. Finally books offer a total immersion in the subject and therfore they will continue to exists.

Trace the forest source used for your book

Attention for sustainability is not any longer on top of the agenda of businesses and consumers. During a discussion I had today with Vanessa Biebel (PEFC chapter Belgium) and Evi De Waele (SGS - certification institute) the subject of traceability popped up. The initiatives of FSC and PEFC would be a lot more credible when businesses and consumers could trace the origins of the paper used for brochures, magazines or annual reports. Imagine image conscious companies like Volvo or The Body Shop produce annual reports or brochures that indicate exactly from which forest, in which country it has been produced. What if Apple could indicate from which sources their packaging has been produced? Traceability supports their environmental brand dimension as it signals the importance the company attaches to a sustainable world. Consumers will also get a better perspective on the role the paper industry plays in deforestation. It could counter the idea that the paper industry is the cause of the deforestation in the Amazon.
A quick online scan showed that various initiatives are taken to achieve traceability. The Indisputable Key is an example of an EU-supported initiative that focuses on traceability. Is the industry however motivated? Contrary to the food industry, there is no health issue at stake that moves the industry. I believe it's about the credibility, and at the end of the day the survival of the industry.

How to pimp your CFO.

Friday I presented to a group of marketers and printers invited by Xerox. Xerox promotes an application that transforms existing invoices and statements to effective and efficient marcom tools. Invoices have our full attention -direct marketers would love to achieve that with their mailings- and consumers spent a couple of minutes checking it each time. However the invoice is "owned by the financial department", not by the marketers. Marketers therefore need to convince financial staff to include marketing messages and to tackle IT hurdles, privacy requirements, customer profile definitions, print production assesments, designer requirements and above all work with all these departments in unison. Xerox recently announced a co-operation with the Belgian Post to evaluate mailings including testing these kind of projects.

Thirty years of Dutch digital natives media consumption

Dutch digital natives display an astonishing shift in media consumption based upon time serie data. The data indicate an increase in total time spent with media, but a decrease of print media, radio and music and television. Time spent with internet is almost the same as with television. These data confirm what we probably have guessed to be the situation. And also calls for an industry-wide reaction.

Usability research for newspapers and magazines?

Thursday I was invited by Annita Beysen at the first anniversary of U-sentric. The event included a presentation from well-known designer Justin Knecht from the Centre for Design Innovation . He did an inspiring presentation on usability research. Observing and involving users and becoming yourself a user is a different way of understanding the dynamics of consumer behaviour. Users will do things they will never tell you, therefore observing them provides new insights. Maybe it's time for the print industry to take a closer look at the print consumer experience with the use of usability That might learn us more about how to keep readers on board.

What kind words of Oprah can do...

Recommendations are key to consumer choice. Oprah Winfrey has proven so with her Book club. She has most certainly been driving the choice of what Americans are reading. Now she has also said some nice words about the Amazon Kindle - the e-reader. When Oprah says "I'm telling you, it's absolutely my new favourite thing in the world", watch what's happening. Adage provides an overview of what happened after she gave this praise on October 24.