Printing vs Electronic
- what's your view?

How we communicate with our employees, our stakeholders and our customers has changed considerably over the past ten years. The necessity to have a web presence and an Intranet has led to considerable debate about the benefits of printed publications and the electronic options. In the 90’s we were aspiring towards a ‘paperless office’ although that has never quite become a reality. Emails, web sites and Intranets are an integral part of our working lives, yet loyalty to print remains - how many of us print out important emails and information from web sites?

Printing

Pros Cons
  • A traditional printed publication is very effective when targeting specific readers, as it can be directed to their home or workplace.
  • It is portable, convenient and easy to read, something you can pick up and read at your leisure.
  • There is greater impact with printed material - a well designed, quality magazine will always impress.
  • Most people will flick through an entire paper publication and on many occasions will retain it for future reference.
  • Cost is the biggest argument for cutting printed publications. A well written, quality magazine, delivered regularly to your staff or customers can have considerable cost implications.

Electronic

Pros Cons
  • An electronic publication is substantially less expensive, with no printing, postage or shipping costs.
  • Electronic publications can be turned around very timely and there is no restriction to the amount of content.
  • A publication on the Internet ensures access to millions of potential readers/customers worldwide.
  • An on-line newsletter can help attract viewers to your company and your website. Publications can be archived.
  • It is argued that electronic publications are laborious to read and much of the information can get lost if people do not click on certain links.
  • The publications themselves can get lost in the mountain of email and information now available on-line.
  • One of the reasons many Internet sites and electronic publications fail is their content is not updated regularly. An on-line magazine may reduce costs by 25% but the overall effectiveness may be reduced by as much as 50%.

 

Sinickas Communications conducted a research study with 15 companies across a range of industries and geographies looking at the preferred channels of communication. “Only 22% to 35% preferred a solely online publication. This desire for print was generally due to a lack of time to surf the Intranet, a penchant for reading print while commuting or being kept waiting at clients’ offices, or, at one software company, because employees simply wanted to stop staring at their screens from time to time,” said Angela Sinickas. (Business Communicator March 2003)

This study concludes that preferences in communication channels vary a great deal depending on choice, the sector, size, budget, geography, objectives and culture of the organisation and cautions companies to measure requirements carefully. There is place for both printed and electronic channels in today’s organisations. Electronic methods have not replaced printing entirely and often both channels co-exist - with many printed publications supplemented on-line.

Ken Runicles, Editor in Chief of BT’s Internal Communications presented at the Communicators in Business conference in May 2002 ‘The Death of Print’. He concluded that print and electronic channels both have an important role to play. The printed version of BT Today is still BT’s favourite communications channel, providing a relaxed people-centric read. BT Today on-line is BT’s second favourite comms channel, providing a hard-edged and up-to-date news service.

First Impression can work with you to determine which channel of communication is right for your company’s project to deliver the best results. Call First Impression now on 0870 204 8507 or email us.

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