Digitally connected industries such as inventory, shipping, logistics and ticketing enjoy the benefits of instant connection to the Internet, tracking metrics, feedback, efficiencies and improved ROI via enterprise scanning devices. Consumer print is one of the few major industries yet to take full advantage of digital connectivity. As a result, more than five trillion pages printed in North America* each year provide one-way communication when many of them could provide a much richer two-way communication experience.
The time is right for a “digital connectivity revolution” in consumer print. Goss technology has long been a driving force behind the most innovative print and finishing operations. Now the GossRSVP print-to-mobile phone solution is a platform well suited to drive this revolution and give printed products an interactive connection.
Today GossRSVP offers technology via a cell phone that allows consumers to text, type or scan a code seen in print, opening the door to virtually unlimited interaction and fulfillment options. The most widely used method to interact with promotional codes in consumer print is by text messaging (SMS), but when consumers interact with the Internet, they just click. The GossRSVP program is aiming for that same level of easy interaction.
Print is already a “World Wide Web”, and the cell phone is the new mouse
Print will remain pervasive. Studies show that it still has nine times the audience and fourteen times the page views of the Internet.* Advertisers spend more than $250 billion annually to get their messages across through printed newspaper, magazines and direct mail. The revenue generated as a result, while sometimes difficult to measure precisely, is certainly staggering, as is the influence of non-advertising editorial and informational content delivered in print.
All of this takes place largely without two-way interactivity and the measurable response rates that have always been an elusive “Holy Grail” of print. The challenge for print going forward is to leverage its proven core strengths while also evolving to stay competitive and compatible with electronic media. Greater connectivity through the GossRSVP technology is one of the most compelling answers.
Free Internet access via wireless and wi-fi hot spots is continuing to expand. Consumers expect access all the time, and providers aim to capitalize. The freedom of connecting laptops, MP3 players, smart phones and other devices in homes, by the pool, at the coffee shop and at the airport, can become a reality for print-to-mobile-to-Internet engagement and not be affected by associated carrier costs for Internet compatible mobile phones.
The Internet has shown us that consumers want interactivity and the ability to link seamlessly to additional related content. One of the best things publishers, printers and advertisers can do is to give consumer print a direct Internet connection. GossRSVP welcomes the leaders in these industries to participate and drive a “digital connectivity revolution” in consumer print. Leave us your comments here to let us know how you feel about making print digitally connected.
GossRSVP is a subsidiary of Goss International Americas, Inc., is a print-to-mobile solutions provider dedicated to making print interactive. The company and its partner, UpCode, continue to drive scanning of smaller codes leading to full integration within print. For details visit www.gossrsvp.com, rsvp.sales@gossinternational.com or call 1-603-743-5505.
Ref: * McPherters.com & Source: Zenith Optimedia, NAA & DMA-07, Nielson Mobile