Print in bloom . by Scot Maitland
A
colleague of mine recently posed the following question , “ Do you think magazines will be obsolete , and if so , how soon ?” As the founder of Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly , I responded with a resounding no , but there was one reply that gave me a chuckle , “ since there ’ s been no suitable replacement for the toilet , and that is where magazines are read , I ’ m sure they ’ ll be around for quite some time .” Regardless of where you read your magazines or newspapers , what is changing is the role of print , and it ’ s ability to attract new customers .
Print is alive and kicking . A study reported in Ad Age found that wealthy Americans , those who make at least $ 100,000 annually , opt for traditional media outlets over new media options . And that makes sense ; we live in a world where we are bombarded with “ new media ” and crave more traditional media sources . But it ’ s not just the affluent who read magazines ; 93 % of Americans read them , and those that opt for reading on a digital device ( iPad , Kindle , etc .) still want a printed copy . That ’ s the good news . The bad news is that your print ad can ’ t stand alone anymore . It needs to be tied in through relationships and “ new media .”
Relationships When choosing a print publication , choose one that has a sales representative or account manager . The most important aspect of any print campaign is building a relationship with this person . Who does this magazine appeal to ?