Mark Twain is quoted as saying to a reporter who inquired about his health, “The report of my death was an exaggeration,” but if printed paper products could talk, they might say the same thing.
A prediction of the demise of print calendars, maps, journals and publications in favor of digital versions has been making headlines for more than a decade. Yet, promotional products in these categories and in many others are alive, well and thriving thanks, in part, to the fact that humans like the tactile feel of a physical page and the other benefits that come with it.
Data from eMarketer reports that the average adult may have hit the upper limit of how much time he or she is willing to spend on devices. In 2018, adults spent an average of three hours and 35 minutes on mobile devices, an annual increase of more than 11 minutes. In contrast, paper calendars, maps, journals and publications offer a relief to the eye with no blue light, fewer distractions and higher reading comprehension—and physically writing notes on the pages or checking off those to-do items in a journal helps the user remember them.
Paper maps are the latest print product to signal their staying power as documented in an article in The Conversation.
