There has been a bell tolling since late last year.  It started with the collapse of several newspapers.  It rang again yesterday with the announcement that Google is discontinuing the print ad service.  I must admit that I no longer receive a newspaper.  I do still read several trade magazines though.

Is print dead?

I can’t say for sure.  This does remind me of a line in the movie Other People’s Money.  There seems to be a steady consolidation happening.  Newspapers and magazines are increasingly in the hands of a few.  The few that own them and now it seems the few that read them.

This will be an interesting story to watch in 2009.  Print has a few obstacles besides the growing tide of digital media.  Firstly, they set the tone for online news delivery to be free.  You can read just about any article and the convenience of searching for exactly what you want saves you paper cuts from flipping through a hard copy.

Secondly, advertisng rates did not decrease in response to readership or slower conversions.  Rates actually have been increasing in response to raw material cost increases over the last several years.  Lead generation on its own as a measure typically will not return a favorable ROI.  Factoring in branding and tracking for traffic increases to a website might improve the ROI, but the costs remain fairly higher than other marketing tools.

Lastly, I believe we are seeing a psychological shift in how a consumer is responding to a brand.  I believe this applies to both b-c and b-b.  Our society is becoming much more individualistic.  The consumer expects to interact with a brand in a one to one fashion.  Print is designed for a mass message and not this me message.

All of these obstacles are pointing to a slow decline for print.  For marketers, the key will be to embrace alternative channels for PR distribution.  Seriously look at your ROI, could you lighten up on print to take advantage of other marketing tools?

I have gotten used to not opening up my paper with coffee or lunch.  I do miss the comics though.