‘Promote print!” – that is the message being given to everyone in the print industry as PrintNZ seeks to make buyers of print and the general public aware of how much print is a trusted, innovative and effective commercial medium, and the degree to which print is also a “green” environmentally-friendly choice.

The messages that need to be delivered include the fact that print and paper’s recyclable and renewable qualities are unique, alongside the fact that print remains a versatile, effective and powerful means of marketing and communication, stretching the imagination of readers and imparting knowledge.

PrintNZ General Manager Ruth Cobb is inviting members to use powerful collateral material coming from two international campaigns of which PrintNZ is part -- Two Sides and Value of Paper and Print (VoPP) - to promote print’s sustainability and marketing credentials in New Zealand.

“One of PrintNZ’s key objectives is to promote print – to everyone – not just printers and those in our supply chain but also print buyers, marketers, consumers etc. We need to dispel some of the myths around print and promote the power of print. It is effective, engaging and sustainable,” she says.

“Both of these campaigns have extensive collateral that promote the positive stories of print and use verifiable statistics to support those claims. Facts and figures are great to have to hand when people make offhand comments about print dying, or print killing trees etc.

“We want all of our members to reply back to them with facts.

“You can get the facts you need from this collateral. Use it to spread the word to your customers – the people who are buying print off you.

“Together, we can get the message out in a powerful way.”

Two Sides (http://twosides.org.au/) was created in 2008 with members from the Graphic Communications Supply Chain creating a forum for the industry to work together and share experiences; improving standards and practices; and maximising customer confidence in the industry’s products.

“Two Sides Australia”, with which PrintNZ works closely, is a not-for-profit organisation and it has as its mission the bringing together of all members of the industry, embracing the forestry, pulp, paper, inks and chemicals, prepress, press, finishing, publishing, printing and distribution sectors.

The common goal of all is to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper, and dispel common environmental misconceptions by providing users with verifiable information on why print and paper are attractive, practical and sustainable communications mediums.

Two Sides makes available facts and information concerning the industry's sustainability and performance, dispelling misleading environmental statements made about the industry by clearly setting out the facts.

Value of Paper and Print (http://valueofpaperandprint.com.au/) works in with Two Sides. While Two Sides leads the campaign promoting the environmental credentials of paper and print, VoPP is the effectiveness campaign promoting the efficiency and engagement of paper and print as a relevant, effective and modern media channel.

The VoPP campaign engages marketers with the power of paper and print and enables industry stakeholders to demonstrate these advantages with existing or prospective customers.

VoPP is a unified voice for the paper and print industry and supports members with quality marketing collateral, PR, media representation and targeted consumer research.

NZ Participation

PrintNZ has been fully engaged in the mission to get the facts and get the message out.

Last year New Zealand participated in a global survey of consumer opinions about print and a further survey is currently underway of 10,000 consumers that will provide data on how people prefer to read, how often they read, trusted news sources, types of advertising and marketing communications that are read, and their opinion on the drive towards digital delivery of things like utility bills and financial information.

These surveys together with Two Sides and VoPP provide a wealth of material that PrintNZ members can use.

For example, the “green” story of print’s environmental credentials is underlined by several outstanding facts produced by Two Sides.

Did you know that New Zealand paper production comes from 100% planted forestry crops and that no native harvesting exists for paper production?

And that for every tonne of wood produced in these plantation forests, a total of 1.47 tonnes of CO² is removed from the air, being replaced by 1.07 tonnes of oxygen?

Or that with only 1.1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, the value chain of pulp, paper and print is one of the lowest major industry sector emitters?

Even when you are finished with print products, you can re-use or recycle the paper because it comes from renewable and sustainable sources. Compare this to “electronic waste” such as scrapped computers and printers, which often contain rare earth minerals that are non-renewable and energy-intensive to extract.

Yet while e-waste is growing at over three times the rate of other municipal waste streams, some businesses misguidedly think that by switching to digital media they are improving their environmental credentials.

Not only that – many people don’t want to be forced to use digital correspondence. A recent survey in the US showed 90.4% of people felt that companies that send bills and statements by email should be required to send those documents in paper format, if the customer wants to receive them that way, with no penalties applying.

There are also the personal aspects of print – photos, family records etc which when printed are often kept for years. But retaining these only in digital format means they can be lost if a computer is faulty, leaving the owner unable to track things and trace personal records in years to come.

Often the sectors of society most affected by a forced move to digital are our most disadvantaged, such as the elderly who may not have easy access to computers.

PrintNZ members can access all these facts to use for their own purposes (see panel for further examples).

Ruth Cobb says everyone in our industry has a responsibility to promote print and members can access all the collateral to use for their own purposes.

For further information please contact Ruth Cobb, PrintNZ Manager, mobile (027) 248 9404, tel (09) 266 8523, email ruth.cobb@printnz.co.nz