Carried out with research agency Madano, the project has utilised “groundbreaking digital data acquisition and analysis technology”, according to the trade association.

The aim of the long-term initiative is to permanently shift the perception of print across an end-user and consumer audience. The IPIA is working in partnership with its members Citipost Mail, Imprint MIS, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Epson, and The Printing Charity to drive the project forward.

The new white paper explores why print remains an essential part of the marketing communications mix, its role alongside digital channels, and the application of print across the design, fashion, and textile sectors. 

The IPIA said that capturing the research results, gathered over a 12-month period covering over 12,000 data points, has provided an accurate, detailed picture of how the print industry is truly perceived by consumers and key print buying markets across a range of critical metrics: from effectiveness, trust and sustainability, through to the role of print within multichannel marketing campaigns.

Exploring the perception and trust in print, the research revealed dominant narratives surrounding print, which included cost and complexity balanced with an understanding of how printed elements in the campaign mix could be effective.

Taking the strategic use of direct mail to generate higher response rates when compared to digital only campaigns, as an example, the white paper discusses the role of print to stimulate engagement and trigger action across target audiences. 

Examining user-generated social media content alongside news, forums, blogs and a range of digital media, the IPIA said the picture formed from the research has equipped the organisation and its partners with clear points of knowledge that tell the story of print’s efficacy, how the industry can approach sustainability, together with the beneficial impact on culture, society, and the arts.

The white paper challenges the increasing absence of print in the marketing and communications decision-making process of potential print buying markets.

To address this finding, the IPIA is also launching a social media campaign – ‘Print Made This’ – to point to the role of print in our lives and its role to embed messages in memory, establish long-term connection, and enable consumer engagement.

It said the expression ‘Print Made This’ “harnesses simple, timeless human truths to get to the emotion, relevance and action that print inspires”.

The ‘Print Made This’ campaign is aimed at highlighting the often ‘hidden’ role of print in everyday communication. The IPIA said the campaign’s first move is to change the way we speak about print and get to the ‘why’ print matters; clearly and succinctly.

The white paper ultimately then looks at the areas where the industry can step up and employ a new direction to serve the sectors who could benefit from print’s potential as a marketing and communications medium.

The paper also addresses a range of areas impacting and affecting outcomes in the industry, supported by the IPIA’s research.

These include: the role of buyer perception and consumer trust; how the industry resonates across other sectors; challenging the perceptions of print and profitability; where opportunities for market growth can be found; addressing sustainability myths; and how the IPIA is going to influence perceptions of print.

“Armed with greater comprehension about how end-user audiences feel about print, the white paper addresses head on the areas where the industry can step up and employ a new direction to serve those sectors, which can discover the immense potential and possibilities of print as a marketing and communications medium,” the IPIA stated.

The organisation said its next strategic step is to engage with the range of stakeholders identified, who are directly generating and influencing conversations and content in their respective sectors.

50 individuals have been identified across marketing, advertising, design, fashion, textiles, and photography.

With an objective to engage and build relationships, the IPIA’s aim is to drive new conversations about the place, purpose, and role of print across these sectors. Driving a change in print perception, especially for an established medium, is a long-term plan for the future of the industry and its commercial growth.

Alasdair Browne, IPIA vice chair and chair of its research subcommittee, is focused on the need to build the print industry for the long-term.

The instigator of the project, Browne said: “By obtaining an accurate picture of how the print industry and its products are perceived – and by identifying the most influential individuals and organisations driving these perceptions – the IPIA and its partners can develop a long-term strategy to strengthen the print market in the UK.”

More information about the project, and details about how to access the white paper, are available at: ipia.org.uk/nn.