Amazon Offers Proof Again That Print Is Not Dead

It's interesting how at the very same time that Facebook is investing in virtual worlds where most people will never go, Amazon is reaching out to people in the tangible real world where we live and breathe and have our being. 

I don't believe Amazon is doing this just to spend tons of money on paper and printing. They've tested the waters and know the power of print, including catalogs and direct mail.

Catalogs have a certain nostalgic appeal for a lot of us, I believe. When I was a kid my dad would bring home a Sears catalog (which seemed like it was two inches thick) and mark the section featuring children's toys. This was Santa's way of learning what we might want.

The photo on this page is of two Amazon catalogs I've received this fall. One is the Amazon equivalent of that kids section of the Sears catalog. The other is a fashion gifts guide. 

Yes, magazines and newspapers have taken a hit these last 25 years since the advent of the Internet. This doesn't mean print media has been abandoned altogether. 

Here's the beginning of my 2018 article Why Print Still Matters for Marketers.

Whereas it’s true that magazine and newspaper publishing has taken a hit these past fifteen years, it would be wrongheaded to assume these forms of connecting with readers-–that is, consumers — would disappear altogether. In fact, a recent study indicates that print continues to be among the most effective media for reaching customers with your marketing messages.

A new study by the marketing analytics group Ebiquity, conducted in October 2017 and January 2018, has provided numerous insights to help businesses evaluate their marketing mix. One of the study’s aims was to not only determine the most effective marketing channels, but to discover how much the facts align with what agencies are telling (or selling to) their clients.

Get the facts. You can read the rest of the article here. 

In the meantime, the seasons are in transition. Are you ready?

PRØOF Magazine Call for Art: Vestiges

PRØOF Magazine Sends Out A Call

PRØOF, Duluth, Minnesota’s publication of contemporary art and literature, is accepting submissions to its fourth issue, ‘Vestiges,’ coming out in January of 2015. ‘Vestiges’ will focus on the loss of print publications for all mediums of art. Any format or style of written or visual work addressing this theme is acceptable, and contributors are encouraged to think outside of the box.

Issue overview: The loss of print mediums for artists is devastating, and at once, thrilling. We forge ahead into a new domain of online publishing, and since PRØOF Mag is an entirely online publication, we are seeking visual art, poetry, flash fiction, essays, and short stories surrounding the disappearance of print. Please venerate, celebrate, cherish, admire, or disparage, condemn, disregard, or bits of both, so that we may put together a wide ranging dialogue on the subject of publishing.

**please note: If you are selected for this issue of the magazine as a writer, or a visual artist, you will be in consideration for inclusion in our January 2015 exhibition. We will be showcasing selections from the magazine, as well as hosting a reading with the featured artist, Brian Beatty. We may not be able to print, but we have the gallery space, and the tenacity, to create this transmedic event!

PRØOF Magazine: PRØOF is published by Prøve Collective of Duluth. Our mission is to showcase the talent of local, regional, and national artists and writers and foster the discussion of important ideas about arts and culture. PRØOF is proud to be based in Minnesota, and it will focus on one local artist in each issue, bringing them into larger discussions of regional and national art.

Click this link for submission information.