Can innovation keep print advertising relevant?

Print as a medium has been losing its momentum over a period of time. With digital and social media becoming important parts of the advertising mix, newspapers face the challenge of keeping advertisers interested. However, from time to time, various media houses and brands come out with innovations to beat the clutter and give the print medium a much-needed boost.

In the last few weeks, we saw innovation on two different brands. So, what is prompting these leading dailies to come out with innovation?

We have seen such innovations in the past from several brands, be it in FMCG or automobiles. The idea is to do something different from what readers are used to seeing every day. Any brand has to be bold enough to take that step. At the end of the day, it is not just about the reach an advertisement delivers but also the impact it creates.

When an advertisement makes you listen

This is where Hyundai's recent advertisement for the BAYON in Hindustan Times becomes interesting. The front-page advertisement has a button that readers can press to hear an AI-generated voice talking about the car.

Newspaper advertisements are meant to be read, but Hyundai has given readers a reason to listen as well.

Now, that is something different. A reader who picks up the newspaper in the morning is used to seeing advertisements on the front page. But when there is a button to press and something to listen to, it makes the experience a little different. It also shows how a brand can use a newspaper in a way that readers may not have expected.

Google Photos brings the reader into the picture

The other interesting innovation is from Google Photos, again in Hindustan Times. This time, the newspaper has been used to demonstrate a product feature through a specially engineered hydrochromic print innovation.

A simple wipe removes the unwanted flare from a photograph, demonstrating the AI Enhance feature of Google Photos. The back jacket also introduces Google Photos Remix, bringing two different product experiences together.

What I like about this execution is that the reader is actually doing something with the advertisement. We are so used to seeing brands talk about the features of their products. Here, Google Photos has taken a different route.

Instead of just telling readers what its AI Enhance feature can do, it allows them to see the difference on the newspaper itself. It is an interesting way of taking a digital feature and demonstrating it through print.

Why are newspapers experimenting?

One must also understand why newspapers are looking at such ideas. The competition for advertising money is getting tougher. Brands have several options today and digital platforms have become an important part of their media plans.

Newspapers cannot expect advertisers to continue buying space just because they have a certain readership. They have to give advertisers something more.

This is where the role of the media house becomes important. It is no longer only about selling a front page, a jacket or a full-page advertisement. The creative teams within the media houses have to work with brands and agencies to come up with ideas that readers will notice.

Of course, such innovations may involve additional effort and costs. But when an idea works, it creates interest around the brand as well as the newspaper. There is also a possibility that readers will talk about these executions and share them with others. That gives the advertisement a life beyond the newspaper.

The idea must work for the brand

Having said that, innovation cannot be done just for the sake of being different. There has to be a reason for choosing a particular format. It must have something to do with the brand or the product being advertised.

In the case of Hyundai, the use of sound makes the reader participate in the advertisement. Google Photos has taken the idea further by allowing readers to see a product feature in action. Both are examples of how the medium can be used differently without losing sight of what the brand wants to communicate.

We have seen brands in the past experiment with newspaper formats, special inks, unusual inserts and different ways of presenting their products. Some have worked well, while others may not have created the same impact. But that should not stop brands and media houses from trying.

Print still has its own strengths

Print may not be able to match digital media in terms of targeting or the speed at which a message can be delivered. But it still has something going for it. A newspaper is something that readers hold in their hands. There is an opportunity to use that physical connection to do things that are not possible with a regular advertisement on a mobile screen.

Perhaps that is what newspapers need to explore more often. Advertisers are always looking for something new, and readers too would like to see something different from the usual advertisements. The challenge is to bring the two together.

These two recent examples show that print still has room for innovation. The medium may have lost some of its earlier importance in the advertising mix, but it need not lose its ability to surprise. Sometimes, all it takes is one good idea to make a reader stop turning the pages.