Independent work theme: the future of print media

Trust
Social media may be great for a number of things but, according to The Guardian, trust is not one of them. Following the YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project, more than 25,000 people were asked to state whether they trusted or distrusted news or information they found online. Only 12% of respondents said they trusted information from social media, with 83% having little or no faith in platforms like Twitter or Facebook. Conversely, Kantar’s ‘Trust in News’ study found that in a poll of 8,000 people, consumers were much more trusting of print publications over digital. 
Likewise, when it comes to marketing, printed media is a much more respected form of advertising over ‘frustrating’ online adverts. This comes following a report by Marketing Sherpa which found that eight out of ten internet users trusted print adverts to make purchasing decisions, rather than their online equivalents. 

Creativity

There’s no doubt about it – having a beautifully printed magazine, leaflet or other form of media not only looks and feels a lot nicer than an online alternative, but it also enables readers to engage with the colours, text and other creative aspects it has. It creates a longer-lasting impression as well, with many neuroscience researchers finding that paper-based content is actually much more memorable to readers than digital content. 
One such example of this comes from the Canadian neuromarketing firm TrueImpact, who compared the effects of paper marketing (direct mail) with digital media (email and display adverts). Their research found that participants were much more likely to recall information when exposed to a direct mail piece (75% recall), rather than a digital advert (44%). In essence, information about brands and other information was better retained by consumers through printed media. 
Moreover, a 2009 study conducted by Bangor University and branding agency Millward Brown found that the creativity of print media meant that it appeared more ‘real’ to the brain; it had a meaning and place which better engaged with a consumer’s spatial memory network.