Print Media is Alive and Kicking!
Print media exists and works! Last few months were all about COVID-19 crisis. Many false/fake news were spread about newspaper that infection can be passed on via touching the paper. Many people stopped the subscription. Even the well educated people, apartments, societies in elite cities and posh colonies turned their back to newspaper in paper format.
Well no should be blamed as the situation is of life and death! Other media like digital and the forgotten Radio witnessed a huge surge in audience, listeners, and advertising revenues.
A segment of digital first and digital only proudly talks about print is dead. Times of India has run a beautiful campaign about Power of Print. Such naysayers must check that out. Also, print is probably one of the most effective media for persuasion due to highest attention of span devoted to it.
If one wants to reach people with some offerings, which means a physical exchange is needed. No media can do that except the PRINT media.
Reader may be aware of the plantation drive from Central and state governments. Suppose, you want to plant 5 crores saplings? Or you want people to seed specific plants at home. For example, Tulsi boosts immunity and many people are using it to increase immunity in the fight to COVID. How you can ensure and get the results?
Well, to reach people the only possible media is PRINT. So some one came with this wonderful idea of delivering seeds via newspapers.
In India, long time back, Volkswagen has used print to with a stirring device embedded in newspaper to get attention of millions! Now, the state government has used the power of print to deliver Tulsi seeds in an innovative way to millions of household.
The seeds were put inside the two strips of paper which were glued and protruding – that could be teared easily without affecting the remaining paper. Check the image.
A similar idea was executed by Kisan tomato where they distributed tomato seeds inside their ketchup bottles.
[Disclaimers: No endorsement of any government is implied. The article is about innovative use of print media to solve a real life challenge]