The Permanence of Print
On the last day of summer, I found myself looking through a 33-year-old mail piece that I pulled off my bookshelf: the premiere edition of The Apple Catalog.
It’s probably what finally inspired me to buy my first PowerBook at the time, with a lot of persuasive copy, helpful charts, and intriguing images. Like so much good print, it demonstrates the importance of branding that builds trust and creates meaning. People feel and remember the connections that you make and the stories that you tell. And of course today, Apple consistently ranks as the top brand in the United States and the world.
But mostly, I have to say that I’ve never been much of an early adopter when it comes to technology. No shiny object syndrome for me! Any electronic products or gadgets that get my attention have to prove themselves in the marketplace before I seriously consider buying them.
Maybe you’ve seen that classic Radio Shack ad that’s been shown in Facebook posts and internet memes over the years. It’s originally from a February 1991 issue of the Buffalo News. For its President’s Day sale, the store promoted special prices on such items as:
- Mobile cellular phone
- CD player
- VHS camcorder
- AM/FM clock radio
- 20-memory speed dial phone
- All-weather stereo
- Cassette tape recorder
- Tandy 1000 computer
You get the idea.
Over the years, social media has tallied up the cost of the products and converted them to current dollars. The kicker is that all of their functions have now been replaced by a single technological marvel: the smartphone. And it is priced at much less than the total of the obsolete devices.
Does replacing them with a single tool — kind of like a Swiss Army knife — improve the user experience? Maybe for a few, but have you ever tried to watch a Marvel movie on that tiny screen?
Smaller and faster is more convenient, more flashy … and more disposable.
Contrast that with print.
Print exists and lasts because of ink and paper, while digital appears (and disappears) at the tap of a button.
Its design and production methods adapt and evolve, but slowly and deliberately.
Print is about trust and continuity. A book, brochure, sign, or direct mailpiece creates physical proof of a message or story that you’re communicating. Whether it’s from the 1790s, the 1990s, or today, it doesn’t need a power supply or another format conversion to be held in your hands, read, and acted upon (or not).
That’s the value of print.
For the consumer, the reader, the target audience, there are no constant updates or issues with compatibility. Print works because it and the messages behind it engage people today as it did decades ago. It’s the power of touch and marketing that makes it endure and thrive.
