Is innovation the lifeline for print media’s survival?

As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, print stands at a crossroads. On one hand, the medium has seen a steady decline in ad spends as digital platforms dominate with their unmatched reach, analytics, and precision targeting. On the other, experts argue that print’s unique attributes—tactile nature, immersive storytelling, and trusted credibility—still make it an essential medium for certain audiences and industries.

As per a report, in 2018, print adex stood at Rs 19,457 crore with a 32% market share but at a growth rate of 4%. However, the pandemic in 2020 was a severe blow to the medium, causing adex to fall to Rs 11,925 crore, causing a -41% fall as circulation collapsed. The market share also fell to 22% amid the rise in digital. In 2023, while the absolute print Adex rose to Rs 19,250 crore, its market share fell to 19% with the growth rate declining to a low of 4%. 

Projections suggest a further decline, with print’s share expected to drop to 16% by 2025.

Deleise Ross, SVP at Mudramax, said, "There definitely is a decline in print spends across categories, this is majorly due to the rise of video. Video can create deep engagement and higher trust compared to digital. However, sectors like local retail, luxury goods, and local businesses still depend on it to build regional connections. These industries value the medium’s ability to convey credibility and target audiences with local and personal content."

According to the report, this decline can be attributed to the rise of digital technology and shifts in consumer preferences towards digital screens, particularly among the younger demographics. Additionally, the rising costs, distribution challenges, and environmental sustainability concerns pose further obstacles to the growth of print publications.

Despite these challenges, the year has played out well for the print sector by far. Jagran Prakashan, which runs the national daily Dainik Jagran, reported advertisement revenues of Rs 373.19 crores in Q4 of FY 2023-24. This is up by 16.2% from Rs 321.30 crores during last year, same quarter. For Hindustan Times, ad revenues for the quarter grew by 9%. Dainik Bhaskar's Q4 FY24 consolidated advertising revenue registered a growth of 25% Y-o-Y to Rs 445 crore.

As per Statista, print advertising revenue in India grossed over 177 billion rupees in 2023, reflecting a steady recovery trajectory with expectations to near pre-pandemic levels by 2026.

Amyn Ghadiali, Country Head at GOZOOP, said, "In India, print advertising continues to hold a significant, though shrinking, share of the overall media pie. Despite the growing dominance of digital, print still accounts for around 10-12% of total ad revenue.”

Ghadiali shared that real estate, education, and FMCG showed pockets of growth, and these sectors continue to see value in print's tactile, long-form engagement, particularly in rural areas where digital penetration is lower. 

He added, “Industries that prioritise print, such as luxury goods, automobiles, and educational institutions, rely on its credibility and ability to deliver high-quality, focused communication.”

This implies that print continues to draw consistent revenue from its regular advertisers, which highlights its enduring value in the media mix. These advertisers recognise the medium's ability to deliver tangible, trusted communication to its audiences. However, as competition grows and the clutter increases, the key to maintaining and enhancing this effectiveness lies in embracing innovative formats and approaches.

The question is how brands and agencies can utilise their potential through innovation to make ads truly stand out and stay relevant.

2024: Year of innovations in print

2024 saw some standout campaigns that reimagined what print advertising could achieve. From interactive designs to sensory disruptions, brands and creative agencies embraced innovation in print and also challenged the notion of its decline.

Flipkart’s recent front-page ad by Leo Burnett India made waves by turning a traditional newspaper read into an interactive experience. A small swipe with a wet tissue was all it took to reveal hidden messages embedded in the ink, showcasing Flipkart's unique 10-minute delivery promise.

Vinit Sanghvi, ECD at Leo Burnett India, described their approach with Flipkart’s ‘Spilt Milk’ ad as a blend of creativity and virality. 

He said, “We collaborated with TOI & HT teams and decided on the ‘Spilt Milk’ execution, that has interactive built into it with a fun engagement for the consumer that they hadn’t witnessed before. From hiding products under a layer of ‘milk’, to a contextual story and highly relatable situations that would require a last minute save, this print ad wasn’t just interactive, but it also helped build a narrative on how Flipkart Minutes can save the day in just 10 Minutes!,” said Sanghvi.

Similarly, Sociowash’s campaign for Cleartrip transformed a static ad into a dynamic user experience.

Madhur Budhiraja, Group Head – Copy, shared that the campaign was designed to be rebellious in nature, with the message: “Mat Jhelo, Bas Niklo”. While conceptualising the print approach, the agency decided to use a paper plane as a metaphor. He said, “It was the most notorious way to escape the classroom boredom back in the days.”

Sociowash transformed the print ad into an origami guide, with each step representing a common life problem. Upon completing the steps, the ad transforms into a paper plane, with the top revealing the campaign’s CTA: “Mat Jhelo, Bas Niklo,” urging readers to book their flights immediately.

Budhiraja said, “For Cleartrip, our inspiration came from digital platforms. We asked ourselves: Can we make print, a one-dimensional medium, interactive and engaging? The objective of the ad was to target corporate employees and highlight the importance of taking a break.”

Additionally, this print ad featured an embedded QR code that, when scanned, directed the audience to a unique tutorial experience. 

Similarly, in January, when Samsung announced its flagship S24 smartphone series, the brand took a print route to add a little more flair to its new offerings. In a front-page print ad, readers were greeted with an artful depiction of different cultural elements of the country, accompanied by a QR code, inviting users to purchase the Samsung S24 Ultra and view a video presentation of its features.

Another most talked-about print campaign of the year was Swiggy Instamart’s Mango Ad. The ad greeted readers across Mumbai with a mango-scented front-page newspaper ad. The ad featured vivid visuals of mangoes and a copy that read ‘Read this ad with your nose’. 

Abhishek Shetty, Marketing Head at Swiggy Instamart, shared, “What made it truly unique was its ability to engage multiple senses—readers could smell their favourite mango scent as they turned the page. This unexpected sensory experience captured hearts and conversations.

The approach was rooted in simplicity: celebrate India’s universal love for mangoes with a visually striking and emotive execution, while using print to immerse readers in the mango season's magic. The result? Not just increased orders, but an unforgettable experience that had people sharing the ad, talking about it, and, most importantly, craving mangoes.”

This approach showcased print’s potential to create emotional connections and memorable brand experiences. 

“Print played a critical role by bridging perception and action. While the aromatic nature of the ad helped elevate brand trust and recall, the clear call to action encouraged readers to immediately order mangoes through the app. This dual impact of building long-term perception while driving immediate results is what made print invaluable for this campaign. While print might seem costlier on the surface, the return on investment goes beyond numbers. For the Mango Ad, it wasn’t just about sales—it was about making a statement, generating buzz, and elevating the brand’s position. That’s the kind of impact print uniquely delivers, making it worth every rupee,” Shetty added.

He shared that the Mango Ad delivered a 1.5x jump in mango sales during the campaign period.

Similarly, in June 2024, as part of its brand refresh, Zee Marathi, a Marathi TV channel launched a multisensory campaign that included a scented print ad in Maharashtra Times, carrying the fragrance of the Sonchafa (Frangipani) flower. 

V.R. Hema, Chief Channel Officer and Business Head, Zee Marathi, had earlier shared with Social Samosa that this ad received a great response. She said, “People didn’t expect that from a print ad. It was a small but impactful way to engage with our audience, and it got noticed across trade and clients.”

This year, by transforming print into an interactive, sensory, and emotional experience, brands created moments that stood out, proving that print is evolving.

Print, a complementary channel…

In today’s multi-channel landscape, print is no longer just a standalone medium; instead, it has become a complementary channel that enhances digital campaigns.

Ghadiali said, “For many brands, print is a complementary channel, enhancing digital campaigns through tactile experience and localised outreach. Nowadays the trend is also to make print ads viral using digital medium as well.”

The trend now is to use print ads to create moments of surprise or intrigue that prompt immediate online engagement, sparking virality through social media and other digital platforms.

Budhiraja, “As the lines between channels blur, think about how you can interconnect them with print as the centrepiece. For our campaign, our print ad served as a gateway to a digital video commercial (DVC). We also leveraged the ad to spark conversations on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). In short, reimagining print as a bridge to other channels is the way to go in modern advertising.”

Maximising print's potential in a digital age

To use print effectively, brands and agencies must tap into the medium's inherent strengths while integrating it into a larger, multi-channel approach. Here's how experts suggest making the most of print.

To keep print relevant, Ghadiali suggested advertisers leverage its unique strengths: quality visuals, strong local reach, and emotional connection, while integrating it within a broader, multi-channel strategy.

Furthermore, Sanghvi noted that as consumers have become more accustomed to digital interactions, print must adapt to meet these expectations. He said, "With consumers having evolved to be more receptive to a digital world, along with user interactions playing a vital role, print as a medium is experiencing a change. Consumers want to interact more with everything they see and hence even if it is print, using a more interactive execution helps consumers feel more engaged with what it is they’re seeing." 

Budhiraja shared a few key pointers that brands and agencies can leverage.

1. While digital is far more effective and efficient as a medium on a larger scale, print still has a certain captive audience. If it overlaps with your audience, go for it. 

2. With so much advertising fatigue, print works better only when there is something out of the ordinary. So do it well, or don’t do it at all. 

3. Innovations in print take it to the next level, and the added advantage is that innovations make people talk, take it on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, thereby helping brands gain online traction and virality. Think outside the box. 

Shetty shared strategies that have worked for Swiggy Instamart:

• Sensory disruptions: Ads like the Mango Ad prove that print can engage multiple senses—be it through textures, scents, or creative designs that evoke emotion. Such innovations create lasting impressions.

• Hyper-relevant narratives: Print is a brilliant medium for telling locally resonant stories. For example, tailoring messaging for regional or seasonal campaigns works incredibly well because readers see themselves in the story.

• Amplifying digital campaigns: Use print to complement digital efforts. A print ad that intrigues or surprises can drive users online for more, creating a seamless brand experience.

Shetty said, “As a marketer, I’ve learned that if you treat print media as a canvas for creativity rather than just a format, it can deliver good results.”

It's not the print medium that is dying, but rather our approach to it. To innovate, the key is to draw inspiration from other art forms and channels. Adopt the mantra: ‘Fall in love with art, create advertising’.

-Mayur Buddhiraja

As the digital age continues to evolve, print may no longer dominate the advertising landscape as it once did, but its potential remains undeniable. The key to its clutterbreaking ads lie in how brands choose to innovate, using print not as a standalone medium but as part of an interconnected, multi-channel approach. 

Whether through sensory experiences, interactive executions, or as a catalyst for digital engagement, print still has the power to capture attention, evoke emotions, and create lasting connections.