INTERGRAF Target MEP's with "Digital Needs Print" campaign!

By Editor Morten B. Reitoft

In the 70's the founder of SPIES rejser (one of Scandinavia's largest travel agents) Simon Spies, was extremely colourfull. He, for example, said that " all female employees deserve to have sex with the boss", or "all advertising is good advertising", and I could continue. The tabloids swelled in stories that were bad, embarrassing, and totally unacceptable after today's standards.

Of course, Intergraf hasn't created a campaign as extreme as above, but the standard for the "Digital Needs Print" is as low as it gets. You can always argue that politicians are exposed to hundreds of lobbyists and therefore need simple messages, but this one - well - I am sorry, let me elaborate.

750 envelopes with a mobile-phone holder made of paper and instruction how to assemble it has been sent to 700 EU politicians, with a message that says "Digital Needs Print."

If Intergraf was known for sending out hundreds of quality campaigns, I would probably not think about it. Still, the organization is the umbrella organization for the federation of printers in Europe, and you rarely hear about them, from them, or even understand the value of what they do.

It may be that politicians act on extremely simple messages like this. But I can't believe that a phone holder with such a simplified message should bring value to anybody - even politicians? Just to compare: The Federation of Printers in Denmark Grakom, just sent out a very well made booklet about circular economy and how the printing industry should seriously convince customers, stakeholders, brand-owners, and every user of print about our industries respond to the environment. The mothers of all European mothers send a paper-based stand with a message - that hardly have a message that is substantiated.

You can ask yourself whether the message at all is true? Literally, I can't believe that any of the probably too many employees at Intergraf uses a stand like this themselves, and if we try to broaden the perspective - do digital at all need print?

The answer is that customers need print since print can do things that digital can't do. The truth is that print can do so many things. From an amazing range of applications: textile, decor, printed electronics, commercial print, packaging, labels, to well almost anything you can think of. The message should be; always use applications that fit the purpose best. Printers all over the world today offer omnichannel solutions since sometimes print is better, and sometimes digital is better. Different channels for different purposes.

Our industry should focus on that - and organizations like Intergraf should REALLY focus on ensuring that the terms we operate under are on equal terms with other industries and that our industry is regulated on an educated basis. We don't need politicians, like the ones in Denmark I wrote about last week, that suggests legislation based on emotions and populism.

Intergraf, you are simply not supporting the industry with campaigns like this, and I am embarrassed. This is my opinion.

I got a short message from Intergrafs Beatrice Klose, where she stated the following "it is not easy to attract the attention of 750 Members of the European Parliament who for the most part do not know anything about the printing industry. But I can tell you: the phone stand and the messages worked!"

I, of course, appreciate the feedback - and then I can speculate over how it worked? Did 750 MEP's open the envelope, assembled the stand, and then what? Or did they get a broader understanding of why print matters? Or what worked? If a simple message like this has now changed 750 MEP's opinion about print and the terms thousands of people work under in EU, please send more phone stands weekly - but that's unlikely isn't?

If you are part of the industry - do you prefer over simplified messages or valuable information? The images above is from Grakoms booklet about circular economy in the printing industry.