Paper versus Megabytes the future of printing over pixels, what is your take?

I seem to have opened up a bit of a hornets nest with regard to my post of earlier in the week titled "Is the Horticulture printed publication industry in deep trouble" .

I was surprised that the post was picked up so quickly and I was asked to rectify a couple of inaccuracies which I did immediately.

However, the content of the post has perhaps hit a nerve and sent shock waves through printed media that serves the horticulture, landscaping and land based grounds industries.

The crux of the debate developing is the future of paper media. How long can companies continue to justify hugely expensive print runs and all of the associated deadline and distribution costs in order to mail out a bulky magazine? Print companies are totally reliant on their advertisers picking up the tab to cover the cost.

However, my prediction is that the industry is reaching a tipping point where it will be forced to admit that irreversible subscriber numbers have fallen below an acceptable level.

If subscriber numbers fall 10% is it justifiable to increase the advertising rates by the same proportion to cover the loss? No, it is not and what really concerns me is the reluctance, as inferred by commenter Ellie, that statistics are not published so it is impossible for the budget holder to determine how effective his or her money is going to be in hitting its desired target audience.

Put yourself into the position of the small company who wants to reach a bigger audience.

Can they afford to pay one, two or three thousand pounds per year to reach their intended market and what is the benefit to them if that audience is potentially only a few thousand?

I suspect my children will be more than likely to log on to the Internet in the morning. either at work or at home to get their news, read their post and follow their hobbies and will not be inclined to walk down to the corner shop or stop their car on a busy road to pick up a piece of non dynamic paper.

The great thing about the web and its transition to a hugely dynamic and fluid media is that it has the ability to change peoples reading habits.

What organisation can afford to maintain a staff of 3-10 people and all of the associated costs and meet deadlines to go to print? Distribution alone can wipe out much of its subscription fees and they are wholly dependant on advertising.

Once golf courses, landscape gardening and garden maintenance companies or garden centres realise that they can reach an audience from double to many times the multiples of printed glossy publications for a fraction of the cost of paper advertising, are they going to commit to such a cost?

Recession and its implosive effects on business

The UK is dangerously close to going into a recession.

There is a clear and unquestionable stream of evidence, especially after the US mortgage companies mis-sold trillions of dollars of Sub Prime mortgages that a credit squeeze, coupled with a severe property price decline is starting to impact on the economy.

Oil is at a record level - never before have we seem $94 a barrel and this cost will be carried, at some stage, by any company that transports goods or heats business premises.

Whilst there will be a continued desire - especially by the generations that grew up with it - for paper between their fingers, the economics will dictate that the core readership will desert this form of media in favour of cheaper, dynamic and totally fluid electronic and digital means.

Have you a view?

Further reading: Is the Horticulture printed publication industry in deep trouble