‘Paper Because’...Following the Paper Trail

I’m officially tired of the noise about how paper is being replaced by e-Readers, iPads, and other electronic devices. Sure, some of print has already gone and more is going away forever, but that hardly means print is dead. It’s just in the throes of a huge change, and change is the only constant in our technological society.

Paper’s place in this change is behind Domtar’s classy new “Paper Because” marketing campaign that promotes the utility and persistence of paper. It’s really an educational marketing and branding program, and the most engaging I’ve seen in a long time. Take a look at www.paperbecause.com.

“‘Paper Because’ is really about paper and to drive interest in print and the use of paper,” explains Lewis Fix, vice president of Sustainable Business and Brand Management at Domtar. “The campaign talks about the emotions paper can evoke, denies the notion that paper is dead, and most especially that paper vs. electronic media is not an either/or issue.”

The “Print Because” campaign uses videos and print ads, along with offering an array of paper- and print-oriented articles that delve into the value of print in people’s lives at home and at work. Just today I spotted a couple of the videos running as ads in the video section of the New York Times and they are engaging enough to drive people to the “Print Because” site to see more—and maybe dive into some of the other content.

The articles on the site are a compendium of knowledge and insights that compare print to electronic media, such as which is best for learning, why you may want to still get your credit card bills on paper, the value of direct mail, why senior executives prefer periodicals over online versions of the same publication, and much more. Other sections address sustainability, and how paper can be personal and even purposeful. It’s just a ton of useful information that charges forth with the banner of the value of print.