Why publications are making a print comeback (2024)

Like the ageing returning rockstars it writes about iconic music magazine NME has made its own comeback.

The British music bible has returned to its printed format but with a more exclusive twist. Produced bi-monthly with a£10 cover price, it has a print run of hundreds rather than hundreds of thousands.

Owner, Caldecott Music Group in Singapore, says the new print version features a dynamic new design and content refresh that builds on its peerless legacy of breaking what’s new and what’s next.

Caldecott is not alone. Among numerous launches in the past year have been Superdrug’s quarterly magazineThe Edit, British Airways’ relaunch of its printed High Lifemagazine and Harper's Bazaar France from Prisma Media, France's leading magazine publisher. Condé Nast also announced the upcoming launch ofprint magazine Vogue Adria, which will be published inCroatia, Serbia and Slovenia.

Europe was estimated to contribute49%to the growth of the global market over the forecast period. A key driver was enterprises in the region launching new magazines specifically designed for marketing purposes. European magazine publishers were also updating their magazines and improving content to build customer loyalty and to attract new readers.

The report shared how magazine publishers have found innovative ways to allow their readers to interact and relate with magazine content and advertising. This includes attracting readers to websites using campaign-specific links and interactive printed advertisem*nts. Some alter the content readers see, depending on their responses in real time.

GQ France launched a mobile app that offers content from the printed magazine adapted for digital devices, a daily curated feed of exclusive style, fashion, food, and wellbeing, with shoppable content. It also offers additional masterclasses, podcasts, and weekly competitions.

It not just magazines that are looking for ways to increase engagement with content. TheFinancial Times,that has an overall average print circulationof 104,423, half of which is outside Great Britain, recently launched an app for the digital edition of its printed newspaper. It says the move to meet a global demand for a curated news experience was an “integral part of our print strategy for the near future”.

Print’s essential role in the creation of magazines and newspapers goes beyond the delivery of high quality text and imagery, rich colours, and versioned content. With gamechanging capabilities from new portfolio additions such as the RICOH Pro™ Z75 B2 sheetfed inkjet press and the Ricoh Pro™ C9500 colour sheetfed press, latest generation print can manage dynamic, and even personalised, content for a more curated approach. It can support the seamless mix of physical and online channels with QR codes and Augmented Reality (AR) capabilities. It is also more effective than online communications as I explored here.

Ricoh’s team of experts are on hand to share how a wide range of application capabilities, enabled by technology defining systems, are perfectly placed to help print of all types make their own comebacks.