There was a lot of hype before drupa opened its doors on May 3^rd about what the show would be remembered for, and as predicted B2 sheetfed inkjet is right up there. But as well as this there have been numerous other technologies and applications discussed. Large format print is marching into the commercial print world with a vengeance, and cloud based systems were also prevalent. And one particular show proved a sell out every day :-)

But when I think about drupa 2012, I think about the encouraging stories I heard or experienced firsthand, of printers who want the industry to flourish and who are looking at news ways of making sure their businesses move into the future. Being able to assess the products and technologies available on the market under one roof (albeit 18 halls!) over a two week period enables them to determine which supplier they believe can help them the most.

As we jet off home to every corner of the World, it’s time to rest our weary feet and feel proud to be part of an industry that can adapt in the face of hardship, put on a great show, and prove that it is moving with the times.

You can’t help but catch the buzz when you see hundreds of colleagues from all over the world come together on a stand where the visual branding, the presentations, the zoning, the directional signage, the collateral are all carefully and creatively aligned, and everybody is united behind a single business mission.

Thousands of visitors will spend time with the major exhibitors at drupa over the next fortnight, and their time with any supplier should give them a holistic experience of the brand – from the technical innovation they see and the commercial inspiration they hear, to their engagement with the sales team and the hospitality they receive.

For my part, I’m happy to have these opportunities to see the communications elements we develop and implement making such a visible contribution to that brand experience.

It’s a powerful reminder that communications is far from being simply an element of an outbound marketing mix. Every company needs to have a meaningful and believable narrative, and to share it in a way that will make people want to listen and respond. Good communication is the very essence of business.

As the printiverse makes its final preparations for our industry’s mega-event – drupa 2012 - here are the 12 top drupa-truths we’ve learned over the years. Tweet us @adcomms if you have any to add to this list.

1. Whatever you plan to carry around the show, halve it.
2. Drupa time is not real time. Figure out how long it will take you to get from A to B, then triple it.
3. You can never have enough USB sticks.
4. Wherever you are, the press office is (a lot) further than you think.
5. It’s harder than you imagine to get something printed at a print show.
6. @Juan_Diaz_Diaz will be first in the press office.
7. You will not be able to feel your feet after Day 2. Embrace the numbness.
8. A two-week diet of strong coffee, pretzels, Cornettos and Altbier is not good for your digestion.
9. Peppermint foot spray is a valuable commodity.
10. You’ll only have a mobile signal when you’d really rather be incommunicado.
11. You will eat Spargel at least once. Even if you didn’t order it.
12. You will not have a ‘quiet night’ in the Altstadt (and why would you want to?)

See you in drupa-city Düsseldorf!

Team AD

As a relative newcomer to the world of print, I am amazed on a regular basis at how much it surrounds and impacts your day to day life. Much of what is around you is printed and we don’t really ever think about it. However, the scope for the future and opportunity of print is even more mind blowing.

The idea that print technology will substantially shape our lives in only a matter of years is fact. I am becoming increasingly obsessed with 3D printing, and the prediction that the home of the future will include 3D printers and we will have the ability to print whatever we want is just amazing.

Print is becoming more and more creative and for me, it is an exciting time to be a part of this print evolution.

For the OCD amongst us, in a world full of germs, imagine if you were able to print with antibacterial ink?

Imagine no more. An antibacterial ink for printing adverts on supermarket checkout conveyor belts has been through a testing process for over two years. And the results are extremely reassuring. The ink is said to be able to kill bacteria such as E. coli, MRSA and the salmonella virus 'with 99.9 percent effectiveness over a 24-hour period'. With the amount of food which I can only imagine is regularly spilled at checkout (and not properly cleaned up!), including meat and blood, milk and eggs, this can only be good news.

This got me thinking about what else we can print with this magical antibacterial ink?

Could hospital walls be printed to ward off germs? How about laptops? The amount of bacteria your keyboard harbours is horrifying! Cleaning your kitchen work surfaces could be also a thing of the past if they were beautifully printed with antiseptic ink.

The opportunities of print are endless and it is only imagination that holds us back.

The open rivalry between Düsseldorf and neighbouring Cologne persists, though these days the debate is often confined to the debate as to which beer variety is better, Düsseldorf’s Altbier or Cologne’s Kölsch (I can answer this for you: Altbier, no contest).

Another (rather more far-fetched) story tells of a wedding procession in the 16^th century. A broken cartwheel threatened to halt the procession, but a boy watching the calamity jumped in and held on to the wheel, allowing the procession to continue. The alternative (and perhaps more credible) version is that the unhappy bride-to-be of Johann Wilhelm I was observed in a state of prenuptial misery on route to her wedding. Children turning cartwheels next to the passing bridal carriage brought a smile to her face.

Apparently, when exhibitions started to attract commercial visitors to Düsseldorf in the 19^th and early 20^th century, the local urchins had an eye to the main chance and started turning cartwheels for cash: the traditional cry was ‘för eene Penning‘, local dialiect meaning ‘for one Pfennig‘.  When I was very young, you might still spot a few children in the Altstadt keeping up the tradition for the price of a few ‘Groschen’, though their antics had become a little more creative, usually involving one-handed cartwheels while holding a full Altbier glass. (No doubt if you can find one now he’ll have a PayPal account.) 

I’m reliably informed by the Düsseldorf web site that the Radschläger competition, which dates back to 1937, continues in the Altstadt each year in June. They have admitted girls since the 70’s (oh, the enlightenment), but I think I’ll pass this year.

Whichever legend holds sway, the Radschläger is a popular symbol for Düsseldorfers and can be found on everything from beer glasses to mugs, chocolates to door handles.  And the little upside-down Radschläger has a few lessons for the printing community as it flocks to Düsseldorf this spring.

• Your closest rival is less than half an hour away. Be better.
• Whatever threatens to halt your progress, find a creative solution and move on.
• However gloomy things might seem, there’s always something to smile about.
• Give customers what they want and the money will follow.
• If you want better margins, be different.
• And when you want to move forward, look at things from a different angle.

„Radschläger wolle mer blieve, wie jeck et de Minschen och drieve“

Some rights reserved by remedy451

The Royal Mail certainly picked a good time to announce the rise in its first and second class stamps! We’re now all too focused on the threat of a pending fuel crisis at the petrol pumps and the impact on our day to day lives of our cars running dry, to stop  and consider the impact of what is a considerable hike in the price of sending mail.  And yet this has serious implications not only for us as consumers, but how will this affect our own printing industry….?

According to the official notice from the Royal Mail [http://www.royalmail.com/customer-service/customer-news]  “We know how hard it is for households and businesses when our economy is as tough as it is now.  We have thought very carefully about the impact on our customers and on our own business before deciding to raise our prices.”   

After such an introduction, the significant increases come as something of a shock.   At the end of April, the cost of a first class stamp will rise from 46p to 60p, and a second class stamp will increase from 36p to 50p.  These increases represent rises of 30% and 38% respectively.  They have certainly ‘thought very carefully about the impact’.

So how will this affect us all?  I’m sure there will be many consumers who will think again about sending letters and cards, especially at Christmas time….what better excuse than to strike off the list all your long lost acquaintances and so-called friends that you don’t see from one year to another.   We may choose to send less letters and cards, opting for electronic alternatives.   But this will undoubtedly have an impact on the direct mail business, which in turn will affect commercial printers.

While I review my own birthday card list for the coming months, I confess I too have been thinking whether every recipient is worthy.  Fortunately, my love of hard copy print has got the better of me, and I for one will continue to send cards to friends and family.  After all for me, there is still no comparison to the delight of opening mail (that doesn’t come in a brown envelope) to that of a mere click on a text or email inbox.

I’m one of those people who reads everything. When I first moved to the UK and started using public transport to commute to work in London, I was thrilled by the idea that I could read a book all the way to work. Even if the train was one of those dreadful sardine-tin numbers so common on the South West Trains line from Richmond to Waterloo, I’d settle for reading the panel advertisements in the train or casually reading a page of someone else’s book over their shoulder (yes, I’m one of those people I’m afraid). I’ll even read the back of a deodorant can if nothing else is to hand.

So when I read an interview with the Economist’s chief executive Andrew Rashbass in The Guardian late last year it struck me that I’d never given much thought to how I personally consume content when I read. When I got to thinking about it, I began to realise that they way that I am continually switching between digital and print content is beginning to impact on the way I consume both.

In the interview Rashbass talks about the “lean-back, immersive, ritual pleasure” of reading the Economist in print as compared to the “lean-forward, interactive” way in which people use the publication’s website.

‘Lean-back content’ and ‘lean-forward content’ are terms that have been used a great deal with reference to online content creation, although it seems the definition of each varies a little depending on who is doing the talking. My understanding is that with lean-forward mediums, people are actively engaged in scanning the content and looking for specific information. This is how most of us use the Internet and certainly how I read news online. What’s interesting is that I’ve become conscious that this is becoming how I read news in print too. My attention span is shorter and once I’ve got the key points of the story I want to move on to the next.

There’s always been something about that which has made me feel guilty, as if I’m somehow not ‘reading properly’. For me, the joy I find in reading has always been about the ‘lean-back, immersive pleasure’ that Rashbass talks about, so it’s lean-back mediums that I’m more comfortable with.

Lean-back mediums are those that tend to be regarded as more passive, with the most common example being vegging out in front of the TV. (Although anyone who thinks that people don’t engage TV content clearly hasn’t heard me ranting at the BBC Breakfast presenters when they pose ridiculous questions to interviewees.)

The point I’m getting to, in a roundabout way (and if you’re reading this in a lean-forward way, this is the point you’re after) is that both forms of content exist, and regardless of what each person’s individual experience of consuming content is, everyone does both. As I see it this bodes very well for the future of my favourite forms of print – books and magazines, because both are full of lovely lean-back content.

Now, get back to leaning forward.

If you’re exhibiting, have you really covered all bases when it comes to your communications strategy for the show?

Attending a trade show is a major investment in brand building and customer engagement. Inevitably, lots of time and energy goes into choosing a good location, designing an eye-catching stand, and of course considering what to exhibit and how to show it off effectively.

But with so much at stake over a short period of time, well planned communications around the show is vital. Based on our experience of supporting clients at major international trade exhibitions, there are three key communications phases for any exhibitor to consider to be sure they get the best return on investment from attending.

Pre-show

Building awareness of your brand is your biggest priority, to make sure you’re on the ‘must-see’ list for visitors. To get your message out you need to use the whole marketing mix; PR, direct marketing, advertising, social media, all of which should drive people to exhibition-specific web content. And make sure that the marketing collateral you will have on site is consistent with that message.

The emergence of online communications channels and social media means that promotional opportunities exist right up until the opening day of the show, so even if you’re worried that you’re behind the curve with this, it’s not too late to take action to highlight your presence at drupa 2012.

At-show

Once you’re on site your priority is to connect with customers and prospects, fill your sales pipeline, gather leads and make sales. But you should also take the opportunity to meet journalists who can build your brand by reporting on your products in their market context, and companies who could offer you complimentary technologies or new channels to market.

You need to prepare for this phase now by making sure your executives are media trained, and are well prepared for all the questions they may be asked – including those they may not want to answer!

Post show

Don’t lose momentum when the show is over. Keep up a conversation with your prospects via direct marketing and social media, send them valuable content – everything to put your brand front of mind when investment becomes a priority. If necessary review your proposition and message to the market. Take time to develop an integrated communications strategy that will sustain interest in your business until the next event.

If you’d like to know more about boosting your ROI from exhibitions, email me here.

And look out for the AD Communications team’s regular drupa-related blogs and tweets between now and the show.

Strolling around the delightful and mesmerising tanks of aquatic life (when not looking for the diving Santa among the tiger sharks) I noticed that the explanatory signage everywhere around the aquarium incorporated QR codes, taking the visitor to web content specific to the displays.

I’m not a prolific museum-goer, so perhaps I’m behind the curve, but this was the first time I’d encountered this intelligent use of QR codes.  Most of the museums I have visited in the last few years - even the more creative and interactive among them  - still rely heavily on the inherent appeal of the objects on display, with dense text panels to deliver explanatory information, and perhaps an element of ‘touch-and-try’ to keep younger visitors engaged.

The potential of cross media in this environment makes my brain swim. With this application, even the least inspiring physical artefact could be brought to life – literally – catapulting the visitor into an online world where they can explore the object in an animated, digital recreation of its original environment. And, with good links to related content, the visitor could be embarking on an infinite journey of discovery starting with that single click.

For the mobile-addicted younger generation born and bred in a rich media environment, the ability to make a digital connection between a museum display case and some well-designed and interactive online content may just be the difference between ‘lame’ and ‘awesome’.  And of course, for the museum, it drives web traffic, with rich potential to extend engagement with visitors and promote social sharing.

That looks like a ‘win-win’.  Or should that be ‘fin-fin’?

Tweet us @adcomms with other cool examples of cross media in the museum world.

Some of you may know that I was fortunate enough to have my honeymoon in Brazil at the end of last year. Wow, what an amazing country it is… my visit there made me realise a) how I have been missing out on South America all this time and b) just how much more we are likely to see and hear about Brazil in the next couple of years, as it is hosting some of the sporting calendar’s biggest events - the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

Something else I came to understand about Brazil and Brazilians in general is that sense of ‘mañana’ - there is no apparent rush to get ready for anything, including these huge international events, and lots still needs to be done. But along the way, what an opportunity there is for printing and marketing in general.

Everywhere we visited – even the bumpy, sand roads in the middle of nowhere in the Pantanal, had huge billboards of some description dotted along them at regular intervals. And when I say ‘some description’ that’s exactly what I mean. The billboards themselves were old fashioned and …well, just old! The posters on them were pasted up in bitty sections and there didn’t appear to be any particular consistency. With the major influx of visitors, and therefore potential targets, expected in the next four years I can see that the big brands must be rubbing their hands with glee on the one hand, but also scratching their foreheads on the other as they survey this mammoth task (in every sense).

So, I firmly believe that the associations and exhibition organisers who have already earmarked Brazil as a target are spot on, and suppliers and PSPs alike should jump on the bandwagon sooner than later as there is scope to reach out to millions of people. Who knows, when I next get a close up view of Brazil - although sadly this will most likely be on my television set –maybe I will see some of the latest technologies for colour management and wide format print staring back at me through my screen!

As a number of our account teams are in the midst of preparing for the upcoming trade exhibitions, I’m working through my own checklist to ensure nothing gets missed or overlooked while juggling these preparations with the rest of my everyday tasks. And, with the start of 2012 especially proving extra busy with a few key shows and other pre-exhibition events, including FESPA Digital, the drupa International Media Conference and drupa 2012 in the next few months to name just a few – having this checklist is proving more important than before.

Our clients are making a substantial investment to exhibit at the specific show in the first place, so from a PR perspective we naturally want to ensure that they maximise their return on investment.

So, what’s on my checklist?

Although every exhibition organiser, as well as its media partners, will offer a range features that we will investigate and follow-up on as appropriate, there are a number of other points which is always a good starting point to ensure the essential PR opportunities are covered:

1.    Show preview: Most journalists need this around three months before the exhibition to prepare their preview issues, which visitors often review in detail to plan what exhibitors they would like to visit during their time at the show.

2.    Press conference: If a client plans to make a major corporate or technology announcement during the show, the best way to do this might be by way of a press conference or other media event.

3.    Technology Reports: A large number of exhibition organisers will commission one of its media partners to produce reports or handbooks on the different technologies exhibited. These reports are often drafted three to six months before the show, so we ensure that we speak to the relevant people in time to discuss our clients’ technologies and how it could fit with the various reports.

4.    Daily Newspaper: Although the largest proportion of copy will be drafted the day before publication, the editors are usually planning and commissioning interviews and longer articles months in advance.

5.    Conference programme & speaking opportunities for clients: If the exhibition organisers are running a conference programme in conjunction with the show, chances are they might be looking for speakers in the different subjects.

6.    One-to-one meetings with the media: In addition to doing a press conference – or in some cases it might even be better to do this instead of a press conference – an exhibition is a perfect opportunity to give a number of journalists a detailed brief on a one-to-one basis within a short space of time. The journalists will need to be contacted a few weeks – if not months – in advance to set up a meeting before they’ve filled their diaries for their time at the show.

7.    Press packs: Even if a client decides not to invest in any of the above points, having a press pack is essential as it might be the company’s only chance to brief the media about the company, products, etc. A press pack will also provide them the information and images they need to write a story after the show.

So, while our customers are working through a checklist of their own to prepare for the upcoming shows, I will continue to review the list above and add other opportunities as they arise. And, although the checklist will never be complete, at least I know it sets me well on my way to prepare for the next trade show!

Some rights reserved by moonlightbulb

Much like Marmite, reality TV shows and Scientology, Valentine’s Day divides opinion. Well, for the consumer anyway. Many of us enjoy the day that allows us to be even more romantically and fiscally foolish than normal. But there are always the hardnosed sceptics who, like my perennially single friend Pierce, denounce it as ‘just another gross manifestation of capitalism’ and that there are ‘364 other days in a year to show that you love someone’. Strong words. But largely irrelevant; the GCA’s (The Greeting Card Association) market research showed in 2011 that ‘the average spend [per card] on Valentine’s Day was £2.17 – the highest of all the categories tracked’. Supply and demand is the perfect match.

However no matter how high the demand is for two foot high cards, elaborate Elton John-esque flower decorations and diamonds the size of a baby’s fist, there does appear to be a huge lack of creativity and originality. A tentative-come-rigorous Google search by yours truly proved further testament to that. And it got me thinking: surely in this modern world, with our wealth of variable technology to design, print and deliver, there has to be some new, innovative idea - something so unique and undeniably personal that the recipient of the gesture would be left in no doubt that your heart was truly theirs (at least for the day).

The internet offered me few answers, if any, so I sought advice from a female friend whilst we had coffee in central London. ‘Why not write a song?’ was one predictable idea mooted. My rendition of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ in the corner of Costa quickly nipped that suggestion in the bud. ‘Why not poetry? You write poetry don’t you?’ was the next predictable proposition. I had to remind her it was not the 19^th century, and I was not W.B Yeats. Merely telling my girlfriend that ‘I, being poor, have only my dreams, I have spread my dreams under your feet, tread softly because you tread on my dreams’ would just not wash in 2012. I would be called a cheap-skate and most probably see my dreams being punctured by her high-heels.

Then, two things coincided in quick succession to gift me with the idea I’d been searching for. The first thing occurred when I trudged back to Waterloo after my failed coffee brainstorm to catch the tube home. As I descended the escalators, the flickering of the DEPs (Digital Escalator Panels) vividly informed me that War Horse had extended its run at the New London Theatre and that Hugh Laurie thought I should begin to moisturise. These did not immediately help my Valentine’s quest, but I did decide that DEPs were a welcome addition to the dank, dreary Underground walls and a fantastic and alluring example of advertising in the digital age.

The second thing was inside the drupa report I was reading, in order to better familiarise myself with the exhibition. Under article entitled ‘the organic electronics = a new form of package “finishing”’, I stumbled across what I had been searching for - and the one word that had the potential to capture a woman’s heart – ‘nanotechnology’. Oh yes.

With the use of the former, publishing firm Gruner + Jahr were able to put a high-grade video display into the magazine ‘Gala’ for their client Otto. Though readers had to manually press buttons to scan through the visual content, the groundwork was there for my idea: a personalised video that could be integrated into your Valentine's card (or any card for that matter).

I’m sure it’s not a completely novel idea but it’s a remarkable blend of media formats. The idea that, at some point in the not so far future, I could possibly take full control of the visual and auditory content of all the cards I send excites me. This year’s Valentine’s may come too soon, but I look forward to the day that my significant other will be able receive a card that opens with a video of yours truly singing Marvin Gaye, with smooth film star skin and holding two tickets to go to the theatre to see the tale of a young army recruit’s friendship with a horse during the First World War.

As the famous British poet John Keats once said “Nothing ever becomes real ‘till it is experienced”, and it was in the last few days leading up to Christmas that I was fortunate enough to be invited to visit one of our clients, who had kindly offered to show me around and give me an insight into the real work that goes on in a busy print house.

The client in question specialises in digitally printed graphic solutions and covers sectors including retail, exhibitions, events, museums and leisure amongst others, producing work for high profile and globally recognised brands. So you can imagine my excitement at the thought of not only seeing first hand how it all happens, but seeing actual products produced for customers in sectors that I could easily identify with.

After a warm welcome by all, the tour proceeded and I was delighted to be able to learn more about the client, their business, the type of work they produce and to see the machines at work. It was the first time that I had seen the printing materials, machines and the processes involved and consequently my host was fielding a barrage of questions! A particular point of interest for me was seeing the different types of media and hearing examples of their usage, especially a certain type of media used for glass or window graphics that enables the non-printed areas to appear invisible once applied.

However, the highlight of the day was seeing some remnants of a recent project for a global brand, a building covering that was printed to appear like polished stone, but that was actually printed onto a glossy media and then wrapped around durable lightweight boards suitable for outdoor use. The project was impressive, both in terms of the sheer size of the task and the two week turnaround, with many of the team working through the night to deliver on time. I was regaled by the team with tales of fitting the boards in the dark whilst four metres up, trying to steer the enquiring (and in the lead-up to Christmas, somewhat inebriated) public away in order to complete before nightly work permits came to an end. The finished product looked fantastic, an expensive adornment of cream marble to the naked eye, but on closer inspection a printed, high quality product that was practical and both more cost and environmentally efficient.

A few farewells and a bacon sandwich later, I was on my way back to the office to share the excitement and experiences of the day. John Keats, I applaud your saying, because although print is one of the most important industries out there, it wasn’t until I was able to experience first hand the way in which a working print house can fully function and had the opportunity to get to know the machines that I could further appreciate what a fantastic, interesting and evolving industry that print really is.

The first rule is to be prepared. Exhibitors and attendees that just show up are shooting themselves in the foot. As the old saying goes, ‘failing to plan is planning to fail.’ While there is no way to guarantee an event is worth attending, exhibitors and attendees should make sure they have done their homework. For exhibitors, that means starting their marketing well before the show. By contacting the people they want to see beforehand, exhibitors can arrange meetings, hand out information and generally raise awareness of their presence at any event. It is equally important to have a good PR plan and reaching out to people well before the show. This is a great way to increase interest and traffic for your exhibit.

Planning ahead is also important for people attending shows. Prior to the event, attendees should make a list of important stands, speakers and contacts. Once the list is complete, attendees should arrange to meet with as many people on their list as they can. This insures they get the most face time with their target audience and helps them schedule time effectively.

All of that may sound like a lot of work, but the benefits of a trade show can far outweigh the costs. For instance, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research in Chicago (CEIR) has found that 46% of executive decision makers made purchase decisions while attending a show. More importantly CEIR research shows 77% of executive decision makers found at least one new supplier at the last show they attended. That makes trade shows a great place to reach new customers.

Shows can also help cement relationships with current customers. According to CEIR’s findings, 95% of executive decision makers meet with their current suppliers at a trade show. This is no surprise, as trade shows are the original social media. They have been offering a great place to meet in real time, see people in your industry face to face and exchange news, ideas and gossip. Skipping out on that could sour client relations or worse yet, provide opportunities for competitors.

All this does not mean that trade shows are essential for every business, but they certainly deserve consideration. After all, they are still the only place where an entire industry gathers to do business, exchange ideas and prepare for the future.

Sometimes I get lost reading articles on groundbreaking marketing campaigns tips, allegedly innovative Apps and trends on social media. Together with on-line advertising, social media seem to dominate the marketing landscape and people tend to use this magic word in every context, even when inappropriate. 

I’m interested in all these unceasing developments that have been bringing some fresh air to the marketing arena and I’m particularly attracted by the psychological dynamics that lie behind them. However, I sometimes feel that these tools divert attention from the premier ingredient of communication: creativity.

If big brands usually boast a strong and experienced creative team and a significant budget to sustain an integrated campaign that can really exploit specific features of print and digital media, many companies with average resources, i.e. lesser mortals that represent the majority of the market, often put more effort into using tools to emphasise their campaign rather than in the creation process of the campaign itself.

Nowadays you can easily spot an advert with a QR code on it or watch loads of videos followed and surrounded by the Twitter, Facebook and any other possible share buttons, but it is pretty common that you have to deal with poor and predictable adverts. These don’t really persuade you to share them with the rest of the world and create a buzz around them!

It also doesn’t come as a surprise that campaigns with double meanings dropping sexual hints are still very popular (especially in my native country); sex always sells and provides you with easy copy avoiding the occurrence of a creative block. Sticking to this topic, some companies really are scraping the bottom of the barrel though.

In addition, what about those pop-up advertising windows that instantly come up on our screen when we open a webpage and perhaps try to read the news? This is unquestionably a great marketing idea to grab users’ attention, but please put your hand up if you’ve never sworn when you had to deal with a window that didn’t want to disappear and you were desperately looking for that recognisable close button. Once again, if the content of these is truly creative, interesting and innovative if you’re like me you’ll probably be keen on having a further look at it, but otherwise that advert is just an annoying distraction.

Creativity is a never ending process crucial to growth and development. What’s more, it makes us stand out from the crowd. People shouldn’t mix it up with advertising tools and media; these are the valuable extensions of creativity, not vice versa.

There’s nothing like coming across an interesting use of print, and this one certainly caught my eye.  Printing what can only be described as a ‘use by’ date on pillows!  http://bit.ly/uxMq0J

The application of ‘sell by’ dates, product labelling and bar and data matrix codes have become pretty common in recent years, especially in the perishable goods, foods and pharmaceutical sectors, where the track and traceability of products have become important.  But pillows...well, that’s a different story. 

Now if you’re guilty of hanging on to your favourite pillow for years on end, then this could be the solution for you!  Mine for one has been around for more than I care to admit.  So, when I started to look in to this, there appears to be a shelf-life for pillows beyond which they become pretty useless in terms of offering adequate support.  Therefore, printing a sell by date on your pillow isn’t such a wacky idea after all.

I recall a few years back pondering another creative use of digital ink jet technology, that of printing personal messages onto roses.  At the time, I think the whole office agreed that receiving a bunch of plain red roses on the 14^th February would win hands down over one personalised printed rose, we all had to admit, that this was one creative print application.

Only a few days earlier, I’d been speaking to one of my clients about his expectations for drupa 2012, and he was very much of the opinion that this drupa, the emphasis will be on innovative applications rather than hall upon hall of ground breaking new technologies.  There has also been much discussion about the increase in the flexibility of digital ink jet which further lends itself to a wealth of interesting applications such as the tontine pillow’s ‘sell by’ date.  I probably shouldn’t mention it, but there isn’t long before the halls of the Messe Dsseldorf opens its doors once again for another industry showcase, and it’ll be interesting to see what new exciting new print applications will be on display as ink jet technology continues to make its mark.

Now perhaps I was disadvantaged as a visitor to the country, in that I have missed the extensive integrated marketing effort that no doubt supported the roll-out of this revolutionary rebrand.  But surely, when creating a packaging redesign for an impulse tillpoint purchase such as this, the designer must make the product instantly recognisable for what it is, and give the buyer a head start by enabling them to see what they are buying without microscopic inspection of the packaging and product description.  At the very least, they should consider the scope for the product to be misrecognised as something else entirely!

Packaging plays such a fundamental role at the point of purchase, carrying heavy responsibility for immediate product and brand recognition.  Packaging is the vehicle for communication with today’s time-pressured consumer, and it must speak to them directly, giving them clear visual cues supported by intuitive brand names and unambiguous product descriptions. If it fails on these counts, then this expensive designer rebrand - presumably motivated by creating better cut-through in a crowded product category - has surely missed the point? 

Meanwhile, I’m hoping to avoid some uncomfortable interrogations at home as to why I seem to have an open packet of water melon flavoured condoms in my handbag...

Every year it creeps up on us, and every year we cannot believe it is that time of year again. It’s Christmas and it's coming soon!

But, for the first time in my life, I am ready for it. I bought all (yup, I am very pleased with myself) my presents and even wrote my Christmas cards, all before 1st December.

Christmas cards you may say, does anyone still send them? Friends of mine choose not to bother, claiming that it is a waste of time and money. I disagree. Christmas would not be as festive if I were not to give and receive a card.

Mind you, I love to send a card to mark a special occasion. A handwritten card that you have taken time to choose and post for that special someone in your life celebrating a birthday, a new job, a new baby, is much more appreciated than a text or email. It will be a happy memento for days, weeks or even years (for the sentimental hoarders amongst us!), whereas an electronic equivalent is simply deleted and forgotten. Unless printed and kept of course.

You also only need to look around you in between fighting through the throng of Christmas shoppers to see how prevalent print is at this time of year, and how much we possibly take it for granted.

Cards play only a very small part in the circle of Christmas print. There is a plethora of innovative and creative print and design work being produced at this time of year; you just need to take a minute to look...wrapping paper of all designs and colours, gift boxes with beautiful prints and embellishments, stunning graphic window displays with ‘glistening snow’ effects, tree decorations to name but a few.

Let’s not forget Starbucks' highly successful marketing campaign using their paper cups as highly visible indicators that Christmas is around the corner. Over the past fourteen years the coffee company whips their fans into a frenzy by releasing their little red printed cups with the marketing slogan, it’s not Christmas until the Red Cups arrive.

I tend to agree.

My husband’s trade magazine of choice dropped through the letterbox this week (It’s Automated Trader, in case you were interested. I know. And you thought your job was dull. ) The magazine sported a belly band promoting a financial information provider, with a QR code driving the recipient to a dedicated micro site. So far, so good. Great integration of print and online, I hear you cry.

Except that my smartphone-using, ultra tech-savvy, arch IT-geek of a life partner had no idea what it was. When I enlightened him, he thought the idea was cool enough. But without some sort of explanation as to why the code was there, how he should act on it, and what it would do for him, it was no more than a pretty pattern. Like so many things that are widely talked about in particular professional communities, their simplicity and benefits may, without some sort of explanation, be utterly lost on the layperson.

Surely it’s the role of the marketing, publishing and print communities to explain these benefits to those whose consume our media and our messages. Without doing so, the impact on the advertiser’s return on marketing investment of QR codes - and the generations of similar tools that follow - will surely be limited.

If that happens, it won’t be the choice of the print medium that was at fault, but our assumption as marketers that everyone is as clued up on the latest marketing gizmos as we are.

I have a question for magazine publishers everywhere. In the age of digital printing, when homesick antipodeans can pick up the same copy of the Sydney Morning Herald in London as is on newsstands in Australia that day, why can’t we get a copy of any magazine from anywhere in the world printed digitally on demand and delivered to us?

In an age when everything is supposedly online, I am still a compulsive purchaser of magazines. But the wealth of titles making the WH Smith shelves groan is not enough to sate my appetite and so I’ve taken to looking further afield.

Every month I wait eagerly for a copy of Taste magazine that hit shelves two months earlier to arrive in the post from South Africa, and I nearly cried when the US Gourmet magazine ceased publication in 2009. So after I got engaged earlier this year, it was inevitable that the bridal magazines I most want to get my hands on just aren’t available at WH Smith or the newsagent on Esher High Street (which does carry a very good stock of UK bridal magazines, in case you’re interested).

My first thought of course was to subscribe to them, but sadly Martha Stewart Weddings does not offer subscriptions to those of us on this side of the Atlantic. Nor can I subscribe to any wedding magazines from back home in South Africa.

What’s a girl to do?

I suppose that this little rant is partly indicative of how spoilt I’ve become by living in a country where more or less every book I want is just a click away. (I’ve half forgotten how I used to walk into Exclusive Books in Johannesburg, ask for a slightly outré book and blithely accept that it would take 8 to 12 weeks for them to import it for me.) I now expect magazines to be similarly available (or at least be sold on Amazon’s magazine subscription platform), even if at a premium.

More than this, I think that knowing some of the possibilities offered by short run digital printing has made me expect more from the publishers whose editorial and advertising I so voraciously devour (and occasionally cut out and stick into my wedding planning scrapbook).

Surely I cannot be alone in not wanting to travel from Richmond to Oxford Street just to buy a magazine (suggestions of stockists of Martha Stewart Weddings, Inside Weddings and Brides USA other than Selfridges are welcome, by the way).

No doubt the solution is just around the corner is the form of some web-to-print interface that takes consumers’ orders, downloads a PDF from the publisher, prints off a personalised copy and charges me a hefty price for it, but for now, I’m off to Selfridges again this weekend (and checking newsagents en route).

Any client or media friend who’s visited us here at AD in Esher will most likely know that Waitrose is one of the most frequently visited shops in town - if only as our working lunches are generally purchased there! So, it almost goes without saying that I seem to spend a fair amount of time (and money!) in this high street supermarket chain, and therefore can’t fail to notice any offers or brand introductions.

This year, Waitrose has introduced the LOVE Life range. LOVE Life is, as described on the store website, ‘a brand-new range of products based on this simple philosophy: nutritious food can taste great and should be enjoyed.’ And in its eye-catching packaging with stunning images of food on the front, who could fail to stop and look at the choices on offer when meandering through the aisles in search of the elusive tasty snack, healthy lunch or easy-to-cook-but-looks-like-it’s-homemade dinner.

It’s struck me that the marketers at Waitrose hit on the right combination when they launched the new range, and have made good use of cross-media. Many of the LOVE Life products are displayed in suitably appealing, vibrant packaging shouting from the shelves and attracting not only the health conscious among us but any hapless passer-by. The in-store magazine sets the till points alive in its bright primary colours and is packed full of useful tips, tricks and recipes (all using the most healthy, but tasty food combinations), and this all ties together with a TV advert.

The clever use of a handful of celebrities followed over a period of time in their LOVE Life challenges allows the brand to upload video testimonials via YouTube to its website, and the TV advert also encourages viewers to turn to the website or Social Media sites to explore the range further. You can even download the theme tune from iTunes and sing along if the desire takes you!

I do like my ‘healthy’ food, and also have a few pesky food intolerances, so maybe this is why I’ve noticed this range so much more than usual. Instead I’d like to think it was the choice of print & packaging, combined with the billboard and Point of Purchase displays, all working in harmony with online communication methods that in fact has led me to remember this over other brands, and in the process feel like Choosing Life!

I recently started working for a client that specialises in providing innovative products for label and window applications, which naturally raised my awareness to the different types of product in this market – much to the amusement of my friends, especially if I decide to inspect a clever piece of print on a night out!

All of a sudden, the cover on my iPhone isn’t just a piece of plastic – now I want to know how the touch screen stays so sensitive – even with the protective layer on! And this goes for every type of label, I mean everything: the labels stuck on the airplane wings or my car’s engine, the label on my computer box that says VOID when I start to peel it off, the tag in the jewellery shop that sets of the security alarm if I walk to close to the exit security. And that’s just labels...

Gone are the days when all you see walking down the high street is a row of window displays, while architects and designers have proved how effective and clever use of window films can be used in other environments. Granted, marketers have been using window films for years to differentiate themselves from the competition, but since working with this on a day to day basis it has become apparent that for most of us it only has a subconscious effect on how we react.

There’s a whole different world out there where clever people think out clever ways to create labels and decorate windows, and I applaud their creativity with some of it. So, next time you see me examining a label or clever window graphic, come and join me - if only to appreciate it for a second - before we move on with everyday life.

  

Since I joined AD my colleagues have been asking me to write a piece regarding my views on business and lifestyle in England, pointing out the main differences with my country. Such a huge topic!

I decided to settle down, listen, observe, compare and think before passing judgment. Being humble is the first rule to genuinely understanding a country and being a considerate expat. I’m sure I haven’t yet spotted every aspect of the British culture but
I have probably detected the most striking elements.

According to the common and stereotyped British mind-set, Italy is a beautiful country which offers amazing food and beautiful landscapes. However, it is unfortunately populated with Italians, who are thought to be disrespectful of laws and policies, disorganised, not very polite and unreliable.

On the other hand, Italians basically think that the British are proud, too strict and firm, often wrongly convinced that they know everything and anything. What’s more, they frequently seem inscrutable to outsiders.

There’s some truth in these beliefs, but they need to be distinguished from cliché.

As soon as I relocated, I was amazed at the politeness of the British, both in terms of speaking and writing.

It’s nice to make a call and generally be able to talk to someone keen on understanding your needs and putting you in contact with the right person. Unfortunately, in Italy you often run up against annoyed or inflexible employees trained to make all managers and directors inaccessible.

Italian employees are frequently asked to report that key accounts are in a meeting when they actually aren’t. In England, attending a meeting is as common as making a cup of tea, so people are really often involved in business gatherings.

In addition, the British are so respectful that are not likely to rush away from a meeting for a call unless it is absolutely crucial.
This also means that they are focused on what they do and aware that chasing after every unexpected event can become a time consuming experience.

In my country, everything is deemed to be urgent. Italians truly believe this and disperse energy chasing after everything. So they often lose sight of priority and badly behave only since they are too hectic.

Nevertheless, I must admit that the British are so targeted and selective that sometimes they don’t see the big picture and tackle issues in a sort of pigeonhole attitude.

If, by some remote chance, a British meeting was about a new quality of tea, biscuits would be off topic. I’m obviously exaggerating the issue, but I’m convinced that flexibility is not a British trait.

Italians are definitely better at looking at things in a comprehensive and interconnected manner. I’m sure that this is a value, as it helps to discover business opportunities and approach them in a solution orientated and creative way.

On the other hand, let me say that British politeness is tricky. Of course, manners are essential but often turn into a facade.

A friend of mine told me that the English university where she works as a lecturer decided to stick up a notice addressed to foreign students (not only Italians but especially Asians, who are known to be very sensitive) to warn them against British invitations.

The notice advises students not to be offended if a British person asks them out for a drink or something else and rarely follows it up. This has happened to me many times.
At the beginning I was upset but now I’ve decided to put it down to the (inappropriate, this time) politeness that persuades the British to make offers without actually meaning them.

In keeping with their straightforward nature, if Italians suggest doing something they are nearly always committed to pursuing it. Otherwise, they keep silent.

The English language is misleading, too. To give you an example, why is it common to say “see you later” when it is clear that you are not going to see that person for a while? The first time I heard this expression, I thought that I’d forgotten about an appointment. This sort of thing puzzles Italians!

Italians most of the time say what they think, feel and want, whether it’s positive or negative. The British use many emails and different turns of phrases to convey their thoughts, which are usually covered with fluffy expressions.

That can be quite an annoying challenge for an Italian, who has to x-ray the content
and read carefully between the lines to thoroughly understand its interlocutor.

To sum up, if it were be possible to combine the straightforward, creative and open minded approach of Italians with the precision and organizational skills of the British, adding the right dose of politeness, we could create a nice, talented human being.

Oh, I almost forgot! If you are offended by what I wrote, please don’t be.

You should know by now that I’m only being honest and forthright, a quintessential Italian!

P.S. If you’d like to hear more anecdotes and remarks both on the British and Italian lifestyle, please feel free to ask. I have plenty of them to share.

Space, the final frontier, these are voyages...and you know the rest. In the 60s, 70s, 80s and even the 90s, television and film depicted the humans of the future as great explorers, ‘we’ were an active species. In Back to the Future we glided round the streets on hover boards, in Star Trek we sought out new life and new civilisations and in Planet of the Apes...well we were slaves controlled by the giant apes we created, but that’s neither here nor there.

Still, as we approach the years in which those films were set, we are beginning to acquire the technology that made them seem so visionary and exciting, and those imagined glimpses of the future no longer seem so incredible (apart from the ape film hopefully).

iPads provide the ultimate gaming experience, the Wii means we’ll never have to visit a real bowling alley again and social media helps us make friends, albeit ones we may never meet. In addition we are now facing a future where 3D printing means we might one day do away with the stress of the Saturday shop- that’s if online shopping hasn’t already had this effect.

Watch this video,

Video from Youtube: Degirmentas

Brilliant isn’t it? Apart from the fact that Jean Luc quite obviously loved Earl Grey tea, hot not cold, it opens us up to a world where food can materialise on command. This particular technology may seem a long way off right now, but with 3D printing moving in leaps and bounds; it isn’t as far away as you might think. When we can finally create objects, and even food, on demand, we may forget the pastimes which previously occupied our evenings and weekends. Instead we will/may interact with others, exercise and be entertained all from the comfort of our own home.

I apologise for sounding like a grandmother here, but it seems to me that with every new technology we develop, we actually become more introverted. In the UK the number of people telecommuting is steadily increasing, and in the USA that figure stands at approximately 20 million. For telecommuters there is the very real potential of waking up in the morning and going to bed in the evening without having physically seen another human being. At this rate we’ll never live on the moon like in Space 1999! I know that this is the old video game argument, the one which says that children are no longer socialising but are instead sitting at home eating burgers, but humans can – given the opportunity – be a very lazy species. The idea that home isn’t just where the heart is, but where everything is, is quite scary don’t you think?

I certainly wouldn’t discourage the development of new technologies. I mean, wow! How jealous would our ancestors be if they could see us video calling a cousin in Australia? To contact relatives in far flung countries when they sometimes went weeks or even months between written correspondence. And for me, the print industry is particularly exciting right now too. Aside from 3D printing we’re seeing devices which can print on water and the development of some amazing cross media campaigns- check out these QR codes.

The online world and gadgetry can be amazing, it really can. It helps businesses reach new audiences and improve customer service, injects fun into what could otherwise be a mundane day and offers the potential to magic some earl grey tea, hot, out of thin air. Still, we mustn’t forget that there is a world outside. And if we are going to drive back to the future in our Volkswagen Fox then we’re going to have to go outside and make some real friends to act as sidekicks. We could even use our smart phone to check the weather report and see when there will be a lightning storm to kick us back into 2050...

A few cultural outings are vital to break up the long school holidays and this week we ventured out to see ‘Mr Stink’, which brings to life

David Walliams’ children’s book for the stage.  The story – for those without young offspring – concerns the friendship between a young girl and an old tramp, the eponymous Mr Stink, through whom the young heroine and her family learn some valuable life lessons.

Walking into the theatre, we were each handed the ‘Little Book of Stinks’. Quentin Blake’s illustrations from the book had been enhanced using ‘scratch and sniff’ to bring key scenes to life, or perhaps I should say ‘to nose’.  Mr Stink’s canine companion, ‘The Duchess’, stopped at various points in the story to invite the audience to scratch and sniff.  The auditorium was filled with shrieks of disgust and delight as we breathed in the aromas of sweaty socks, sweet shops, smelly burps, pondweed and even Christmas. As you can imagine, the highlight for the under-10 audience was the scent that accompanied the scene in which Mr Stink harnessed his natural flatulence to disarm the oily and insincere Prime Minister.

According to the booklet, this olfactory journey was the work of Celessence (www.celessence.com) whose print division uses microencapsulation techniques to bind scents to paper and textiles, “transforming the potential of aromatics as a way to add significant value to brands”.  The company web site claims that it can draw on the expertise of perfumers worldwide to create almost any smell, good or bad, and bring it to life on the printed page, virtually regardless of the print process, it would seem.

The applications for this technology to enhance printed marketing collateral must be endless.  Apart from the obvious scent samples, imagine a leaflet from an online butchers that opened to the aroma of a freshly grilled steak, the Mother’s Day mailer that allowed you to smell the floral bouquets, or the high-end holiday catalogue that delivered a whiff of sea breeze.  I can well imagine that the impulse to buy might be given a significant boost.

Much is said about the tactility of print – the fact that many of us like to touch and feel what we read, not just consume it from a screen.  If print can be used to engage the most powerful and evocative sense of them all, then it has fresh potential which online media will struggle to match.

Although a cynic might suggest that the story could have been concocted to provide the agency with some PR Week column inches (which I assume they will now evaluate with a metric other than an AVE), any move that highlights the industry’s slow approach to solving the AVE ‘problem’ is to be applauded.  Anyone who has properly considered the true value of the AVE as a metric has realised that it is open to inconsistencies (and it’s clear from the comments on the PR Week report that some realised this years ago), and yet AVEs continue to be widely used; indeed, according to Metrica’s Richard Bagnall at a recent PRCA event, 59% of the global membership of AMEC expect AVEs to remain ‘significant for the foreseeable future’.  

For the large agencies with the resources to develop their own metrics and the client budgets to pay for them, the timing of the introduction of new industry-wide measurement standards is probably a lesser concern; for the rest of us, it can’t happen soon enough.  While the changes proposed by the Barcelona Principles of Measurement are a step in the right direction, the reference to 2020, whether as a ‘symbolic’ date or a proposed deadline for the changeover to new standards of measurement, is not encouraging.  And, as others have commented, rather than AMEC etc. trying to push them through, together with the PRCA, PRSA, CIPR and other industry bodies, they should be convincing the big, international, corporate buyers of measurement services of the need for new standards and so create a demand for them.  If that happens, you can guarantee we’ll see their development and introduction accelerated.

Image from Flickr

I’ve just finished a really good book. I absolutely couldn’t put it down, and, when I did pause for breath to surface away from the story I was captivated by, I wondered if my experience would have been the same had I been reading it on a Kindle or an iPad.

Now, all my friends know that I’m a bit of a gadget freak. If I had an endless supply of cash my house would probably be filled with the latest electronic equipment (sadly this is not the case), but despite my love of technology I’m still drawn to the power of the printed page when it comes to immersing myself in a book. It’s the whole experience for me – the anticipation of starting the book I’ve chosen, the smell, the feel of the paper, and the turning of the page, not to mention the sleepless nights while I read into the small hours to find out what’s going to happen next, counting pages to see if I can read them all before I simply have to go to sleep!

Earlier this year when World Book Day was taking place to celebrate the joy of books and reading, various events were happening around the country to promote books to children, including, in some regions, the handing out of free books. What a fantastic idea, as a child I’d have loved nothing more than to be handed a new, free book, and not much has changed now I’m an adult.

I wholeheartedly believe that technology can complement paper, and that Kindles and iPads have their place for reading, for example when travelling light (books can make hand luggage quite heavy!), or for checking the news, but still there’s nothing better than the real deal.

So, on my honeymoon you know where you can find me – curled up on my sun lounger with book firmly in hand (and drink in the other!).

Image from Flickr:

This week I attended a workshop in London. Run by the PRCA the topic of discussion was communication, and much of the conversation focused on building rapport and recognising body language.  The speaker also asked us to throw away our preconceptions and pay attention to the old adage “you can’t judge a book by looking at the cover” (does anyone else remember that Yardbirds song?...).

By the end of the day I was amazed by what I had discovered, and how simple and natural it all is. So in the spirit of sharing I wanted to use this blog to relay some of my key rapport learnings. Some of them may seem very obvious, but if you read on you may just learn something new.

First and foremost, to build rapport we need to reflect the person we are speaking to- but don’t copy them exactly, that’s liable to scare them! When you want to end the conversation, stop reflecting them, rapport will then break down and the conversation will hopefully come to a natural stopping point.

The second point was more disheartening, but only if you choose to take it that way. We’ve all struggled with that difficult ‘chit-chat’ when we’ve first met someone, and sometimes it never seems to get better. The message here is that it may never improve. If you have nothing in common with a person then rapport is impossible to build. At this point, stop trying to reflect their body language, find a good excuse and move on.  The upside to this seemingly bleak message is that there is nothing wrong with you; you are not a failure, a boring or inadequate person. Good to know don’t you think?

Thirdly, if you’re sitting down and the person speaking to you is standing you cannot build rapport. The person standing will have the upper hand and will dominate the conversation. In order to equal the balance you need to find a way to bring them down to your level, or an excuse to rise to theirs.

Finally, it’s all about the hands and gesticulation. Using both hands indicates that the person is comfortable in the conversation.  A palm facing up is a friendly gesture while a palm facing down can create a sense of force or power. If you want to make your point, keep those palms down! Oh, and stop clutching your hands in a fist, subconsciously others will notice the whiteness around your knuckles and recognise that you are nervous. Think...BBC presenter. This goes for the way you stand too by the way.

So concludes my short summary. As this covers only a small portion of the workshop I would absolutely recommend that if you want to work on building your communication confidence then you should attend the PRCA ‘Improving communications skills for PR professionals’ course. It’s an eye-opening experience and essential for every PR professional.

Yesterday’s parliamentary debate regarding packaging created a flurry of discussion from professionals, urging me to sit up and take note. Having formerly discussed the prospect of print in a digital world (predicting development and growth, might I add) I decided to dig around for public opinion on the idea of packaging and the ramifications surrounding it. Having said that, this task proved somewhat difficult, given that there was virtually no coverage surrounding the debate that took place in Westminster.

I was fairly confident that newspapers such as The Guardian or The Independent would have covered the discussion, given that the environment and the economy are two strong issues that feature within these publications, as well as being key factors of print packaging., Nonetheless I couldn’t find a single extract, not one tiny mention tucked away at the bottom of the page, leaving me slightly crestfallen.

This raises the very valid point that packaging, whether it is being debated or not, doesn’t interest the mass market and as a result, the media has chosen to steer clear of the subject. The discussions I mentioned above were snippets of chat that had been up-loaded onto a website show-casing the debate. This same website (packagingnews.co.uk) uploaded a blog the following day giving a brief run-down of the events and the points raised, but aside from the obvious opinions spoken from the world of packaging, the rest of the media has remained pretty quiet. I now have a one-sided argument; the world of packaging keen to broach the subject and everybody else remaining tight-lipped. Or perhaps silence speaks volumes?

As well as being a pioneer within the advertising world, packaging manufacturers plays an essential role in the theatre production that is the UK economy. Used for marketing, distributing, transmitting of information and basic protection, packaging has evolved and expanded significantly since it was introduced back in 1035. Described as the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for storage, sale, distribution and use, packaging is also referred to as the ‘process of design, evaluation, and production of items’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packaging).

I was somewhat surprised to note that not one national newspaper covered the story of a major packaging industry, SAICA, acquiring Cutts Recycling, a waste recovery company based in Yorkshire, as part of its on-going plan to develop its paper recycling business in the UK. Perhaps with more promotion of the pro-active, environmentally-friendly approach packaging is consciously under-taking, the public will come to embrace the fact that it is an integral part of our world today.

It’s a possibility that the government’s intervention will spark the interest of the public in the future. I am dubious, however, whether the strong words issued by members of parliament in favour of the packaging industry will result in activity on behalf of the countless organisations that pride themselves on being experts in this misunderstood, yet undisputed field.

Therefore you can imagine my surprise last week when I discovered that, even if print was not on the list of topics for discussion, it was very much alive in the grand hall at Kensington Olympia (London), where Marketing Week Live took place.

The event was divided into 5 branches; Marketing Week Live played the role of the leading brand with all its respected publications (Marketing Week, Design Week, Creative Week and New Media Edge) and was surrounded by the Insight, Data Marketing, In-Store and the Online Marketing shows.

Print service providers, media suppliers and producers of marketing and promotional tools for the retail space filled the In-Store area with countless applications: POP & displays, digital signage, shoppers, billboards and green solutions On the other hand, agencies, analysts, consultants, solution integrators, creatives and marketing specialists crowded the three remaining sections.

All things considered I was amazed by this well-attended show, and I appreciated both its mixed value proposition and the high quality of the workshops. It seemed to me that Marketing Week Live can truly provide marketers with a good overview of the latest trends in the media mix.

Nevertheless, it is striking that the Data and Online Marketing shows plus the Insight and the core Marketing brought in both thought leaders and exhibitors as speakers, while the In-Store show and its representative print community were presented only with exhibitors, none of whom had any clear marketing involvement. If I had been a marketer visiting the event, I would have found the In-Store proposition really interesting but isolated from the main show and its essential marketing drive.

During the conferences the hot topics covered included brand communities, to tweet or not to tweet, data protection, development and measurement of creative, targeted and effectively integrated campaigns - but print was conspicuously absent from the agenda. I can only assume that this is because print is considered a simple tool, visible in and around every stand, as opposed to a vital component of effective marketing strategies

I can see just two possibilities for why hardly any of 70 workshops (!) covered print: either print is no longer trendy, or print manufacturers don’t know how to appeal to marketers. Although it is evident that print has entered a battle with new media and has to refresh its image and values, I'm convinced the second possibility holds the most truth.

As a matter of fact it reminds me of another event, where I sat alongside some poor marketers, listening to a conference given by a print manufacturer whose talk lacked incisive or marketing focused content.

I wonder if they are still trying to figure out the ROI of a print head...

Call me cynical, but I was rather bemused to read that having just attacked the printing of the US Federal Register as “a stack of expensive doorstops” and “stupid spending” that “doesn’t benefit anybody”, President Obama, the leader of the free world had also launched his ‘Obama for America 2012’ re-election website, offering a host of campaign paraphernalia for purchase, and dare I say printed paraphernalia at that!

If you click into this website further http://store.barackobama.com/packs.html, you find all the marketing material that you can purchase. Cheap at half the price, you can pick up a supporters pack containing printed stickers & badges, printed tickets, printed place cards and printed postcards for $25. And, for just $65, you could go the whole hog and secure yourself and your friends a ‘party pack’. I wonder if Mr O sees these printed items as ‘stupid spending’? but, I have no doubt he knows who will benefit!

Hands up therefore to Michael Makin, the president and CEO of the Printing Industries of America (PIA), for sending a letter of complaint to the White House to address the potential repercussions that the President’s view could have on the US Printing Industry. According to the letter, Makin wrote, “....it’s important for printers to stand together and deliver a strong, coherent message about the viability and effectiveness of print. We encourage printers to stand up for their industry and communicate to their members of Congress that print is more than an ‘expensive doorstop’ and is vital to our economy.....”

Within the US manufacturing sector, the Printing Industry ranks second in the number of companies and is placed at number 9 in the value of shipments.....so surely, Mr President should not be quite so dismissive.

It seems that the UK Government has also committed to driving out waste, and although they have yet to name specifics, or indeed directly attack print, watch out David and Nick. Rest assured that UK print plc won’t take any such attack lying down.

May was the month of interpack – the triennial gathering in Düsseldorf of the worldwide packaging community. The organisers declared the show one of the most successful events in the 53-year history of the world’s most important trade fair for the packaging sector and related processing industries, with 2,700 exhibitors from 60 nations completely filling the 19 halls of the Düsseldorf fairground.

The fact that interpack was this year co-located with the Eurovision Song Contest provided for an interesting demographic mix in and around Düsseldorf as well as something of a challenge for the 200,000+ people looking for accommodation.

Several members of the AD team were on hand to support clients during the show and for those of us who have attended a number of interpacks over the years, it was interesting to walk the halls and do a bit of ‘trendspotting’: what’s hot and what’s not compared with previous years. 

The drive for efficiency and automation continues unabated, with quick changeover and robotic technology much in evidence in all the machinery halls. Top of the agenda overall, though, was the theme of sustainability. Centrally-located in the fairground was the Save Food pavilion, where over 300 delegates from the packaging supply chain met to discuss how to combat food waste on a global basis.

Packaging appears to be both hero and villain in this scenario – on the one hand, many foodstuffs simply wouldn’t survive the journey from production to consumption without appropriate packaging; on the other, the disposal of said packaging after use is a key environmental concern.

One of the key findings of the Save Food conference was that fresh food, as opposed to dried or canned good, is the biggest source of food waste.  The UK Government’s recent musings on eliminating ‘best before’ dates as a means of reducing food waste are an interesting contribution to the debate, though they overlook one significant fact: variable information on packaging is about much more than a date, it’s a vital means of tracing food through the supply chain and managing product recalls where there is a potential danger to public health.

Just a few days after interpack closed its doors, Germany found itself in the grip of a serious food poisoning outbreak, the source of which is still unconfirmed, and a source of profound concern, not least to Spanish farmers whose produce exports have fallen prey to the hysterical media finger pointing.  In crises such as these, variable data is the only reliable mechanism for identifying where a product has been delivered and recalling it from store shelves or consumers’ fridges or store cupboards.

In 2011 one of Italy’s resolutions is to ban plastic bags: According to the national environmental association Legambiente, Italians have been wasting 20 billionplastic bags per year, which is more than 300 per person. The association estimates that the ban will save 180,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

I’m sure that making this decision a reality will require time. Every cultural change in Italy (hopefully not just  there?) faces a long and annoying bureaucratic process before taking place and provokes conservative reactions & vocal opposition (many Italians are still comparing Euro to Lira nine years after the new currency’s introduction). However, I have to say that I’m proud of my country, for once not in the news due to the questionable government or some hackneyed stereotypes, but because it will be the first country in the EU to take this environmental step.

Driven by this announcement, I decided to briefly investigate the existing legislature on this issue in my newly adopted country. My research revealed that in 2008 the government legislated against single-use plastic bags where retailers had not considered ways to reduce their use. Consequently, department stores such as Marks & Spencer started charging for bags, while major supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, have halved the number of bags issued over the last three years. Their method? Offering points incentives on loyalty cards. What’s more, Sainsbury’s introduced its own range of reusable carrier bags. You can now choose between 100% recycled plastic “bags for life”, whose profit goes to local charities, jute or folder shoppers, or cool bags for insulating your food shopping.

Sainsbury’s corporate responsibility policy is only a taste of what the reduction or ban of plastic bags can become: a hidden and unexplored marketing opportunity. It seems that, sooner or later, plastic bags will be dismissed in every country, so why not treat the fact with a positive, forward-looking approach?

Biodegradable shoppers look likely to be the successors of plastic ones and are already growing in popularity. Nevertheless, some users find them difficult to handle, easy to break and more expensive. Regarding cost, I believe that we can’t pursue any environmentally conscious avenue without investing some money in the R&D of alternative and durable materials. On the other hand, I think that the quality of biodegradable shoppers will improve in the next few years.

But, if we are destined to spend more for the environment’s sake, why not invest in our own stylish and reusable carrier bags? Why don’t we mix our social responsibility with a sprinkling of glamour? We could use gorgeous and durable? paper based shopping bags, covered with glossy and varnishing (?) effects, or eye-catching, reusable plastic ones. The eco-chic fashion followers could also choose natural materials , such as canvas or other textures, enriched with vivid graphics.

We all know that printing technologies are used to produce beautiful shopping bags, which are mainly targeted at the luxury end of the market, or employed to carry products more valuable than food. However, have you ever thought how the printing industry could profitably extend its boundaries to the mass market, raising the quality of this underrated communication’s space?

If there were useful but fetching carrier bags freely on offer, nice to look at but reusable, and if they were adequately promoted by the supermarkets, customers may be enticed to buy, use and keep them for a long time. In addition, the entire printing supply chain could benefit from new revenue streams. Designers could unleash their creativity, media producers and suppliers might extend their product ranges, and printers could indulge themselves with different techniques, while broadening the use of the dye-sublimation to print on each bag’s substrates.

So, what are you waiting for? Why don’t you give this business a go? Put the idea in your bag (whatever it looks like!) and start thinking about it. It would be better to explore a potential niche in advance than discover, too late, a missed opportunity.  

Exhibitions are like London buses...but more frequent. If you were to ask a PR team at any time if anyone was preparing for an exhibition then the answer would undoubtedly be yes, however there seems to be a couple of times each year in which every single person finds themselves knee deep in press packs.

At the moment at AD Communications, we have just finished Northprint and Interpack, and FESPA Digital 2011 is due to kick-off in just a few days time- so I would say that May has been one of those London bus months.

Personally I love the build up to an exhibition. While individuals put their heads down and power full-steam ahead to opening day, there is also the additional sense of camaraderie that exhibition preparation creates within an office.  That mixture of urgency and enjoyment that comes two hours before the press pack courier is due, when everyone with a spare moment is burning CDs or stuffing folders is, well, really nice. Maybe HR professionals should consider adding press pack production to their teambuilding workshops? I absolutely guarantee it would have the desired effect.

So anyway, with days to go until the next show, I wonder what new and exciting things we’ll be seeing there? It’s sure to be a busy but fun-filled few days and there will be a blog to report on our observations once it’s over...oh and once I’ve woken up from my post-exhibition sleep. Did I mention that, despite the enjoyment I have for the build up and running of an exhibition, going to sleep for 12 hours straight after the final day is the best part?  

Interestingly navigating London transport (inc. the buses) has a similarly tiring affect....

A similar thing happened on the last day of the show.  Having attended the organisers’ briefing that morning, we were all reminded that the show isn’t over until the official tanoy announcement and doors are shut.  And again, within the last hour of that final day of the show, a substantial contract was secured to the shock and delight of the exhibitor.

It’s been a tough few years for the industry, but Northprint looked great, bursting with kit representing the whole print production process as well as offering free advice and business-focussed seminars for visitors.   There’s no denying that technology moves fast in this industry, and it was great to see so much innovation on display.  And, having spoken to numerous exhibitors and visitors during the three day event, it was a pleasure to hear that there was a real sense of purpose amongst printers- many of whom were readily researching new applications and investing in both hardware and software that will allow them  to expand their businesses into new areas. 

The fact that fashion weekly Grazia delayed its print deadline in order to produce an ‘insightful, authoritative and exciting issue’ covering the Royal Wedding, and that Hello! brought forward its publication to the 1^st May, has made me think about the position print occupied during and directly following the Royal Wedding.

The Evening Standard went one further and published two special editions on Friday the 29^th – the first time it has published on a bank holiday in 50 years – to ensure it competed with digital media in terms of news updates and to run the first images of that all-important "balcony kiss". Many will say that Grazia, Hello! and The Evening Standard are shifting their deadlines and increasing issues to blatantly cash in on the nuptials, and while obviously true, I like to think that their approach represents a shift in the media playing field in favour of print.

With the boom in e-books and tablets, people have been quick to declare the demise of print, but this savvy manoeuvring of deadlines by these hugely popular magazines shows the power of print to be both an on-the-ball news provider and (still) the best commemorative medium. The Royal Wedding issue of Hello! is its biggest ever, incorporating a huge 60 pages of advertising. The large ad spend is a good indicator of the faith many still have in the ability of print as a powerful, and more importantly, dynamic communicator.  Fingers crossed that, like the Royal Family’s cynics on Friday, print’s doubters were also swayed.

Having been involved with ‘the packaging industry’ for over 20 years, it’s hard not to sigh at this recurring debate about the affront to our environment that is the overpackaging of Easter eggs.

It’s a yearly reminder of our ambivalent attitude to product packaging: on the one hand, we deplore unnecessary layers of packaging in the interests of the environment, on the other, there can be very few of us who don’t take pleasure in a beautifully-packaged fragrance, or indeed, Easter egg. For luxury goods and gifts, packaging is part of the appeal: a brown paper bag simply doesn’t cut it.

More seriously, though, the debate overshadows the practical contribution that packaging makes to all our lives: without modern packaging, we’d need to shop for food far more frequently and many of the medicines that we rely on would simply not exist.

This year’s report from Jo Swinson MP does acknowledge the progress the confectionery industry is making in reducing the volume of packaging but we need to acknowledge it’s a shared responsibility – if we didn’t buy them, they wouldn’t make them.  The packaging industry as a whole is make great strides in reducing waste and improving recyclability, surely worthy of a pat on the back.

So go on, Easter comes but once a year. Indulge yourself with an egg … and make sure you recycle the packaging!

I’ve developed something of an obsession with photobooks. I just can’t seem to stop making them. Photobox must be making a killing off me.

When you scale that up to all of the people like me around the world – who used to spend hours laying our photo albums manually – it’s hardly surprising that this market is growing at such a dramatic pace. (In a press release about their 2010 Photobook Market Report, Futuresource Consulting predicted a 25% growth this year in Western Europe alone.)

Since joining AD Communications in the autumn, my personal obsession has expanded into a professional interest. I’ve been fascinated to see how the growth in demand in this market – both from consumers and from professional photographers – has been driving developments across the graphic arts, from print to finishing.

It’s a perfect example, I think, of the spectacular knock-on effect that a good idea can have.

Beyond that, I think that, in photobooks we see two of the things that make the graphic arts industry such an exciting place to be right now.

The first is that, despite the proliferation of photo sharing, the fact that photobooks have taken off to such an extent is indicative of the fact that people still like their photos in a tangible form. People like to hold an album in their hands and take a trip through their past or revisit the site of a favourite holiday. The fact that this can now take the form of a beautifully printed, professionally finished book that can take moments to assemble and order online means that albums are no longer the preserve of those with time on their hands or who (like me) have an compulsive need to organise.

The second thing about photobooks that I think is exciting is the level of personalisation that they show is possible. Social networking has developed simultaneous to the fragmentation of popular culture into a multiplicity of disparate niches. As a result, millions of individuals all over the world are seeking new ways of showing off their uniqueness. This means that the fact that digital print offers an endlessly increasing spectrum of possibilities for personalised printing will create even more opportunities for those with good ideas.

Lightbulb moment anyone?

Nonetheless, the latest invention announced yesterday in Düsseldorf, really did make me, and countless others sit up and take note. By now we have all heard about 3D printing, it isn’t actually as new as some people believe, and the advancements in this area have been coming quick and fast. Just a few weeks ago I heard of technology to print cartilage -thereby giving the potential to recreate damaged ears- and apparently liver tissue with apparent ease!(http://www.economist.com/node/15543683). So maybe I shouldn’t be so shocked to learn that there’s a belief that scientists will be able to print an entire human being.

It’s like Frankenstein meets The Invisible Man. By combining the genetic information and stem cell research which has been carried out for decades, with 3D printing technology, scientists genuinely believe that they will be able to clone, or breed, a living, breathing being through the printing process. I have to be honest, the mind boggles, and I genuinely want to ask what crazy futuristic films these R&Ds have been watching (and what they’ve been drinking)…but then the bigger moral issue comes to mind. If we can maintain the human race through pure technology, where do we, the people already milling about on earth, come in? And what about individualism and personality, emotions and human rights….It’s a minefield, but one that I’m sure will be considered strongly before this technology truly comes to the fore.

In the meantime, I’m going to sit back and watch the film unfurl (the film's called April Fools by the way, I highly recommend it...)

I received my UK Census questionnaire package the other day and my first thought was ‘What a great print job to land......I wonder who printed that!  My second thought was crikey, what a lot of questions, some of which are really quite bizarre.’   

Thanks PrintWeek (11^th March edition) you must have been reading my mind by providing some of the answers to my curiosity.  So, it was Polestar that was awarded the contract to print the 30 million plus Census questionnaires, information leaflets and envelopes, which in total, took 317 days to produce!

The debate now seems to be, will this be the last printed census?  I certainly hope not, but only time will tell. 

With the widespread use of the internet and email, as well as all the information stored on us all on various social network sites, and our personal data filed by banks and utility companies and even our local supermarkets, will print remain the best form of communication for the next census? 

According to the PM David Cameron, who appeared on the BBC One Show earlier this month, he also alluded to the fact that this year’s census may be the last, citing the numerous other quicker and cheaper options of gathering our personal data.

Andy Bloxham wrote an interesting piece in The Telegraph.co.uk (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8372014/The-census-could-this-years-be-the-last-one.html), pointing out benefits and drawbacks, such as the delay in collating all the paper-based data, while historians believe the cost outweighs the historical benefits. 

For now however, it’s great that this Census has given another boost to a UK-based print company!

It’ll take me a while to get round to completing my census, but as the good citizen I am (or try to be) I will complete it..... I dare say ably assisted by my six year old little helper who still finds paper, pencils and filling out forms extremely exciting in her own advanced digital world.

The beautiful snow-laden backdrop of Bulgaria’s Pirin Mountains was scattered with every conceivable manifestation of outdoor print and promotional media, from the giant scaffold wrap that cloaked the viewing terraces at the bottom of the main downhill run, to a vibrant array of flags and banners, temporary directional signage, printed mesh fences and giant piste maps.

Alongside the more obvious executions were some inspired examples of brand promotion using all that large format print has to offer.  Headline sponsor Audi, in addition to having its brand emblazoned on every sign and surface, used temporary mountainside bars with a see-through mesh construction (allowing guests to observe the high-speed on-piste action from the comfort of a bar stool) to carry arresting lizard images for the Audi Quattro. 

Bulgarian mobile telecoms operator M-tel covered the full-width of the enormous base gondola station with an advertising banner, unmissable for any homebound skier at the end of the day.

Iconic alpine chocolate brand Milka sprinkled the slopes with its recognisable lilac brand colour, in the form of inflatable cows, competition gates, fake log cabins, and pop-up shops selling every conceivable variation on milk chocolate (which I sampled extensively, all part of my professional interest in brand marketing, of course.)  The limited edition, slalom variety with vanilla flavour seemed to be a best-seller for souvenir-hungry chocaholics.

Promotion reps could be spotted all over the slopes sporting Milka-branded ski wear and wearing coveted lilac fleece hats with white horns and embroidered with the logo, while spectators to the races waved giant inflatable lilac hands (smeared with chocolate, presumably, for the total brand experience.) 

Small aspirants to future world cups could participate in the ‘Milka downhill’ (the gentle piste down to the town from the gondola station).  Pushing off from a branded inflatable start line, they were draped in a lilac racing bib and received a sample pack at the finish – and I’ve yet to meet the child (or parent) who will say no to chocolate after a days’ skiing. 

The event was a brilliant showcase of how creatively executed large format print can be used in a cross-media promotional context to create colossal impact for brands.  And to Milka, if you’re looking for official samplers for your next product launch, you can reach me at sshurmer@adcomms.co.uk.

Greg’s recent blog on Print 2011 in Stockholm (http://adcomms.co.uk/blog/snow-business)  and the widespread coverage of the Hunkeler Innovation Days reaffirm once again the importance of the human touch in doing business, in particular in today’s digital world.

There is a range of motives for attending trade events. From learning about new innovations and ideas to take a business to the next level, research new products and services, to networking opportunities and getting expert advice, exhibitions provide a real must-seize business opportunity. There is no unified measure of an exhibition’s value but no doubt it’s a very cost-effective way of getting comprehensive information and invaluable data to help you shape your business. Those that feel they are too busy to take time out of their busy schedules might continue to beaver away for diminishing returns rather than finding inspiring and profit-making answers that can offer real value to a business.

Of course, all exhibitions are different but most will offer a programme of events, workshops or seminars which will be made available before the event. Being in the know about the programme and the exhibitors of interest to you are essential. Not only will it save you time on the day, it will also ensure you won't miss out on any events that can benefit you or your business.

Before attending a trade show or exhibition ask yourself what you would like to achieve. Who would you like to meet? What would you like to find out? What kind of new contacts would be beneficial? With the answer in mind it will be easier to spot potential opportunities and take advantage.

As I am preparing to go on maternity leave, I have booked my tickets to the Baby Show in London. I’m really looking forward to finding out about the latest quirky advances in pushchair technology and hearing the most up to date expert advice. Being a busy working mum doesn’t leave me with a lot of time to research these things. While I might not be buying anything at the show, I know I will appreciate the convenience of finding everything ‘baby-related’ under one roof.

There is nothing better than attending an exhibition to remind ourselves about the vibrancy of a certain industry and really feel the enthusiasm that drives that industry forward. Or in my case, to re-discover the joys of having a baby, which, let’s be honest, I will need reminding about when sleepless nights will start taking their toll once again...

An interesting article entitled ‘Death of the brand website?’ which appeared on Marketing Magazine.co.uk caught my eye recently.   Although rather consumer focussed, it was well worth a read.....

The article was questioning the role of the more traditional brand-based websites within the growing era of social media.  It followed the decision by Bacardi to move away from campaign websites to focus on a digital strategy based on social networks.  This appeared to be in response to the dwindling visitor numbers to its brand sites, and the belief that today’s consumers are more likely to interact with brands in real time via social networks. 

Many global brands have also realigned their marketing activity towards the digital and social media space in recent years, some with great success, while others have seen this as a less than favourable strategy.  As the article highlights, Nike changed its tack to coincide with the 2010 World Cup (an event any England supporter would rather forget!), building a social forum that could interact with nearly 5 million football fans.  Car manufacturer Honda also reviewed its brand website and various microsites two years ago, giving them an opportunity to construct more modular and shareable content across multiple platforms.

Equally however, the article also presents the downfalls of abandoning the traditional branded website for social media activity only.  Wrigley’s Skittles brand of confectionery did just that, replacing its website back in 2009 with an interactive social media page.  The results backfired, when the page became a dumping ground for less than favourable material.

As I mentioned earlier, this article is rather consumer orientated, but there are lessons to be learned for the business to business and business to consumer sectors, such as those in the graphic arts and paper industries.  We should all be aware of the changes in the digital and social space, and view them as opportunities to reach our target audiences.  The key message here however has to be having an understanding of your target audience.  Once you are clear about who you want to communicate with, you can then assess the best ‘channels’ to reach them.  In the print business, the branded website still very much has its place, a sentiment that is supported by the views of Ian Armstrong, Manager for European Communications at Honda.  He recognises that like the purchase of print technology, “Given the nature of car purchases, information-rich websites will remain vital.  People want a place where they can come where content is trusted.”

I wholeheartedly agree with the conclusion of the article....Businesses need to understand how and why their customers will engage with them before deciding what communications strategy to take.  Rather than ditching branded websites in favour of Facebook pages, YouTube Channels and Twitter feeds, businesses should look to combine multiple platforms that are best suited to their target audience.

On arrival at Print 2011, I was met by my host, Peter Ollen, of the organisers, AGI, who gave me the grand tour of the exhibition.  Despite the -7 C outside,  the exhibition hall was getting all the heat it needed from a floor full of printing presses (or ‘solutions’, when teamed with finishing units from the likes of Duplo and C.P. Bourg) from many of the key digital players, including Canon, Océ, Fujifilm, Xerox, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, HP, Kodak and Xeikon.  Represented by Heidelberg, Komori and manroland, the offset side of the industry was also present but - given the length of the show and the logistics costs that would have been involved - without any presses.  Heidelberg had, however, brought an articulated lorry in which to host its presentations.

It was encouraging to learn that the show was slightly larger than the last and that, for the first time, Print 2011 featured two programmes of seminars, one involving case studies presented by print buyers and the other delivering presentations by a number of ‘creatives’.  These seminars certainly appeared popular with visitors over the course of the day.

Quality, rather than quantity, is the priority where visitors to Print 2011 are concerned.  The show is actively marketed to a high calibre of strategic decision maker, and exhibiting at the event is made cost-effective thanks to a maximum stand size of 250sqm, which arguably levels the playing field for vendors.

From the upbeat atmosphere at the show, it’s clear that the print industry is thriving in Sweden.  According to Peter, there are two main reasons for this – first, the Swedish economy has rebounded from the recession remarkably quickly and grew by 6% last year, boosted by the renewed demand for two of Sweden’s key exports; minerals and telecoms.  Successful Swedish retailers such as Ikea and H&M, have also been buying much more print. 

The second driver has been the enormous printing tax rebates (220m Euros) that companies have been able to reclaim from the government, following an EU legal judgement made last year.  As a result, there are many printers now in a position to make new capital investments in equipment.  The organisers were optimistic that those print service providers would come to Print 2011 to find out what equipment they should be investing in – the positive attendance figures at the end of the first day suggested that they were.

I spend a lot of time on the internet, ask anyone who knows me. If I want a recipe, I turn to BBC Food, if I want to ‘get the gossip’ I turn to Facebook or Mr Paparazzi, and Lord help me if I book a holiday without Googling my flight options first. As far as I am concerned Mr I. Net is the only person in my life I can truly trust.

I never got a Nectar card and laughed when I saw others inundated with the resulting targeted direct mail campaigns. As for ID cards- should they ever come in, absolutely not! I don’t want the world and his mother knowing what brand of toothpaste I buy, or in which cafe I most commonly drink my peppermint latte.

Despite my love of the internet I value my privacy and for that reason my settings are always at maximum on my browser and with my social media accounts. I even have separate email addresses to fool those pesky advertising (wo)men. So you may imagine how betrayed I have felt in recent months.

At first I thought it was coincidence. Yes, I had been looking at travelling to China, but surely that advert for cheap flights with China Airlines appeared on my Facebook account by twist of fate? Wait. Why has an advert for a comparable job to my own appeared for a rival company? This is just bizarre.  

Before I go on I must admit that, though their initial appearance scared me a bit, the ability for an advert directly relevant to my interests popping up is both fascinating and less irritating than one for wrinkle cream or weight-loss miracles (oh wait, did I Google that??)

Travelling forward a few weeks, I read an article by by Heidi Tolliver-Nigro who said that printers need to be like Russian spies. Ok, I may be paraphrasing, but effectively the message was that if print wants to compete, it needs to get into online marketing and do a bit of spying. She goes on to quote eMarketer who say that 14.2% of all display ad spending in 2010 [will] use some form of consumer behaviour data for targeting ads.

Reading further into this so-called behavioural targeting (on Wikipedia of course) I found that it uses information collected on an individual's “web-browsing behaviour, such as the pages they have visited or the searches they have made, to select which advertisements to display to that individual.”

The more I have read, the more interesting this sounds for the print and graphic arts industry. Imagine choosing your precise demographic before shooting out your blind marketing materials. You can do this. Select an age group; select a territory or even a town, select a job title...and click go.

So print industry take note. If you want to target consumers/print buyers who are genuinely interested in your product, if you want to spend your money on a campaign which will potentially increase your web-site click-through rate ten-fold, maybe behavioural targeting is the way to do it.

And next time you log-in to Facebook, Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo, pay attention to those ads. They may be more interesting than you think.

Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Fish Fight campaign (www.fishfight.net ) is a powerful example of how effective communication can bring about immediate change in consumer attitudes and behaviour.

The campaign, which started online last autumn and rolled out publicly on British television last week, has the mission of promoting sustainable fishing, and putting an end to the practice of ‘discarding’ - fishermen having to throw back perfectly edible (dead) fish to comply with the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy.

The three televised programmes mixed clear educational content with footage of Hugh directly challenging retailers whose packaging information misleads consumers about the ecologically damaging fishing methods used.  He was also seen throwing down the gauntlet to the EU body responsible for decisions on fisheries policy. 

Anyone with an environmental conscience could not fail to be moved to act by the shocking images of flagrant food waste involved, and to empathise with the fishermen who try to sustain a traditional livelihood at the sharp end of these bureaucratic decisions.

The impact in just a few days has been phenomenal.  Acres of mainstream press coverage.  Half a million signatures on Fish Fight’s online anti-discard petition.  A raft of high-profile endorsements from the culinary world and the wider celebrity community.  Close to 100000 followers on the campaign’s dedicated Facebook site (Hugh’s Fish Fight), literally thousands of messages and  Tweets (@hughsfishfight).

More significantly still, this tide of consumer reaction has already prompted major supermarket retailers to commit to immediate reviews of their buying policies regarding fish, while suppliers are responding with changes in packaging information.

Sales of sustainably caught fish have soared in the UK in the space of days, with consumers challenging their habitual purchases and putting fish such as coley, pollock and mackerel on their families’ dinner plates.  In fact, fish sales overall have received a significant boost in a country where many families’ appreciation of fish is limited to the delicacy of battered cod and chips.

Of course, time will tell as to whether this popular knee-jerk reaction will be sustained in the long term.  But many FMCG brands spend multi-million pound promotional budgets trying to prompt consumers to change their habits, try a new product, switch from the tried-and-tested.  This campaign has achieved that overnight.

When there’s a clear and resonant story to tell, the right mix of content, presentation and campaign integration, delivered with energy, immediacy and consistency, and the audience understands the call to action, communications can turn the tide.

With analysts predicting that global sales of e-readers will hit 11 million in 2011 – up 68.3 per cent from 2010 – the question ‘Is Print Dead?’ is steadily being asked louder and louder - particularly by those in our industry.

In this increasingly hectic world, the way we demand and respond to information delivered by the media is constantly evolving, and therefore my feeling is that this question cannot be answered in black and white, yes and no terms. In her ‘Comment is Free’ article on the Guardian website Suraya Sidhu Singh contends that different information thrives better in different mediums, and that the print is dead mantra is merely ‘lazy thinking’ (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/08/print-is-dead-mantra-is-lazy-thinking)

Her views on this complex topic are the first that I have wholeheartedly agreed with. As Singh points out, it makes sense for the latest news and events to be communicated in almost real-time via the web, and for in-depth features and stunning photography, for example, to come to life through the tangible medium of print. This is a view that I am sure many people agree with, so where are we going wrong and why are so many magazines going under?

Singh believes that it largely comes down to the fault of the publishers:

‘Print magazines could easily endure if major publishers were to overhaul their titles and get with what’s working. Instead, they give us what we’d rather get electronically in print, and fail to give us, their increasingly niche-interested readers, what we want to hold in our hands.”

If her point that news and features should be delivered via different forums is approached as a potential answer to the question ‘why are so many magazines folding?’, it opens up opportunities for our industry to remind tech-obsessed societies just how great and versatile print is.

With this in mind, the oft-quoted master of the cliff hanger Wilkie Collins springs to mind: "Make 'em cry, make 'em laugh, make 'em wait”. With the surge in sales of e-readers, tablets and smart phones, why not make the public cry and laugh with the latest news and links to viral videos. Then, make them wait for monthly or quarterly magazines and journals that are well-researched, beautifully designed and produced and, crucially, worth waiting for? I don’t believe that print is dead, but I do believe that its continuing diversification can give printers the opportunity to re-open the public’s eyes to the beauty and potential of print.

I’m talking about those valuable people called PR account handlers, who silently and constantly track their clients, trying to understand their needs and translate them into reality through structured communication and marketing activities.

So, what I used to experience and see from the “stalls”, I now have to get used to doing on the stage! That’s it: I’ve changed my role and I’ve just started to play the part of a PR account handler instead of a journalist.

No more for me the role of the flattered editor, always pandered to for their unquestionable power to strengthen or weaken a brand in a few words. From now on I will be on the stage but behind the curtain, making any effort to organise the perfect show for the main characters, my clients, and their demanding and hyper-critical spectators, the journalists.

You’re probably asking me why I’ve made that remarkable decision, shifting from a privileged position in the media limelight to a hidden and sometimes underrated one.

First of all, I must confess that during my editorial experience I never felt or acted as an editorial “prima donna”. I honestly tried to do my best, analysing the market, its changes, every company’s strategy and products. I also enlarged my perspectives and built my own ideas with the support of the PR experts, trying to get more information regarding a company, organising an interview if necessary and considering if it was definitely interesting to publish any content in my publications. (Of course, without forgetting the commercial side of many media engagements).

But as a journalist I’ve noticed that something has changed over the last few years; there’s less mutual respect in the whole communication chain involving companies, PR consultancies and media. The individual value of each link in this chain is increasingly underrated.

Many companies have lost (some of them never had) the ability to talk with the media.
They use magazines to propagate their information, without really interacting with them and exploiting their full potential. In addition, many manufacturers and dealers fail to remember that, just as they exist thanks to their unit sales, magazines survive thanks to advertising or other commercial incomes.

On the other side, PR plays a crucial role in supporting companies with innovative, strategic directions and new integrated campaigns to achieve their marketing objectives in an increasingly competitive arena.

What’s more, PR practitioners have to mediate between the demanding and financially pressured media and their own clients, trying to redefine and adapt the way these two groups communicate.

Finally, the media itself has to review its business model because, from my perspective as a former editor, there are magazines which are unable to add value to the printing industry and its major players.

I think that my position as a journalist has been a privileged one because it has given me a comprehensive view of these crucial changes. But I also believe that, in spite of a modern and integrated editorial approach, as a journalist my role in the communication value chain was, by definition, limited.

So, I’m looking at the PR role as the key one in this evolving communication landscape. Personally, it’s my most challenging and delicate role to date but I see it as a unique, unmissable opportunity to (try to) address and fulfil the new demands of the communication and printing industry.

So, now I’m off to learn my lines and prepare the set. See you at the next performance!

‘A colleague received a letter at the office from his 16 year old daughter, who was away at school. He found this rather strange as his daughter had never previously sent him a letter and also because she’d sent it to his office rather than to their home.  On opening the letter he understood why - his daughter didn’t want her mother to know the news: she’d been expelled from school for using drugs, she was now living with her dealer, and what’s more, she was pregnant by the guy!  Distraught, my colleague passed me the letter to read for myself and I noticed there was a tiny ’PTO’ at the bottom of the page. ‘Did you see the “PTO” ‘? I asked him, passing back the letter. ‘No,’ he answered, and then continued to read: ‘Dad, I want you to know that not a word of what I’ve written on the first page is true – I just want you to be able to keep a sense of proportion if I don’t do well in my GCSEs!’

This was Anthony Hilton’s opening story for his talk at the BAPC conference on the 6^th November and he then went on to illustrate how the punchline of the story can be applied to the current economic situation.

Although a common perception of the last recession was that it was the worst ever, having worked through four recessions, Anthony commented that the most recent was different from the previous recessions for three other reasons:

1. This was the first ‘Internet recession’ – as so much of the global trade now takes place via the internet, when Lehman Brothers collapsed, there was an unprecedented and immediate plunge in trade.  For the same reason, while not immediate, the speed of the recovery in the UK economy has also been unprecedented.

2. According to UK recessionary trends, we should have had a recession around the turn of the century (around the dot com crash).  The fact that we didn’t meant that the UK had experienced economic growth for over 15 years by the time the last one hit us in 2008.  The government’s reaction at that time was quite ‘clumsy’, in part because of its lack of experience in dealing with recessions.

3. The last recession was the first in which personal balance sheets were affected as much as corporate ones.

Answering his own question: ‘So why the gloom now?’ he cited the government, the City, consultants and bankers as all having a vested interest in making the economic situation appear worse than it actually is (the banks can easily afford to lend, but just don’t want to lend to UK SMEs as they prefer to lend huge sums to a few private equity companies than to lend much smaller sums to a multitude of companies).  He similarly dismissed the international gloom, remarking that although there had been loads of coverage about Greece’s economic situation, their economy is actually smaller than Scotland’s!  And as for the Euro, with Germany and France comprising over 70% of the Eurozone, in his opinion, it’s actually doing quite well now (These comments were made before the Irish economic crisis hit the front pages).

In conclusion, he was quite upbeat about the state of the economy and believes that it will turn around quicker than most people expect, driven in part by replacement investment, as companies that have deferred capital expenditure on replacement items for as long as possible are now having to make renewed investments to remain competitive.  Time will tell.