UPM_News_2016

The front page of Al-Jazirah, published in Riyadh, Saudi-Arabia

Undiscovered print innovations When we hear talk of innovation in news media, most people instantly think digital. But there are also plenty of unexplored print novelties out there just waiting to be discovered by inventive customers, publishers and printers.

Text and photos: WAN-IFRA

T he dominant coldset offset news- paper print process seems con- fined within the strict limits of the process and the materials that can be used. But by thinking outside the box, a whole new world of possibilities can be discovered. Thanks to bold ideas pio- neered by innovative publishers, print- ers and suppliers, newspaper printing can be taken into formerly unknown territory. With the help of modern pro- duction techniques and a customer-ori- ented communication strategy, news­ papers offer a hitherto untapped variety of innovative advertising options. Innovative newspaper advertising is not only seen, but also smelt, heard, felt, looked through, pinned up on the wall in poster form and scanned with mobile cameras. It is absorbing and in- spiring – and that is frequently the first sign that you are entering new territory. Print innovation can be found in re- gions you might not instantly think of as innovative. The Saudi Arabian news- paper Al-Jazirah’s new solutions for print ads offer an interesting example

Jazirah’s unique marketing plan. “We created a roadshow to premiere the added values to advertisers more than 18 months before they would be avail- able in the market. This sneak peek served two main goals. The first-look opportunity gave advertisers the abili- ty to create campaigns with the inno- vations in mind, and also served to in- clude the advertisers on the ground floor of their development. The adver- tisers’ unique insight and feedback cor- responded to which innovations were included in which phases, as well as how the technology would be custom- ized to better serve their clients,” ex- plains Abeer Abdalla. There are, however, limits to how of- ten such advertisements can run. “We are not keen to accept more than one operation in the same issue to keep our readers focused and to increase pen- etration for the advertiser. We saw a great deal of enthusiasm and interac- tion from customers.”

of what innovation can do for the reviv- al of print. Al-Jazirah has introduced a wide variety of exciting op-tions ena- bling their customers to customize print ads. Among these are scented ads, large formats and ad stickers. Scent-selling revolution Abeer Abdalla , head of PR and Busi- ness Development for Press, Printing, and Publishing in Ri-yadh, is one of Al-Jazirah’s Brand Ambassadors for its creative printing solutions, which are described as “the passionate next-level in storytelling,” inspiring the newspa- per’s print industry, while at the same time bridging and creating harmony be- tween the print and electronic media in the digital age. Abeer Abdalla describes the planned rollout of the new creative solutions: “We are introducing them in two phas- es. Phase 1 are Scented Ads, Double Gatefold, and Special Colour. Phase 2 includes Die-cut, Perforation, and Ad- versticker advertising decal.” Because the greatest connection to

memory is scent, ‘scent-selling’, allows advertisers to connect all five senses to a product campaign, says Abeer Abdal- la. “For example, these can include a ‘Rub to Experience’, where an icon is placed on the ad to identify the unique interactivity.” A campaign advertising a new lem- on-scented dish soap might utilize a photograph or graphic with lemons, or a fresh garden. The reader can then ‘rub-to-experience’ the scent and in- stantly correlate the scent to the prod- uct. Advertisers included on ground floor Although many of these technologies are not unique to the printing industry, never before have multiple added val- ues been utilized in a daily print pub- lication anywhere in Middle East or North Africa. Al-Jazirah started offer- ing Phase 1 of the new printing inno- vative ideas to its clients in April 2016. The innovations have been popu- lar among advertisers thanks to Al-

New expert guide for paper handling n Paper is a demanding cargo with a high economic unit value. On aver- age it is handled ten to 20 times from when it leaves the mill to when it is put on to the press. Every manipula- tion of rolls and pallets carries a risk of accidents and damage – and any reduction in waste and damage im- proves both economic and environ- mental performance. and printers. Optimised Paper Han- dling and Logistics lays down de- tailed guidelines for the correct tech- niques, tools and facilities for han- dling, logistics, storage and prepara- tion for printing. “This is a truly cross-industry pro- ject bringing together over 30 organi- zations from every part of the supply chain. They have all contributed their expertise to the guide, which draws its content from more than 50 publi- cations,” comments David J. Stein- hardt , President & CEO of Idealli- Experts from across the paper sup- ply chain have pooled their knowl- edge to prepare a best practice guide for suppliers, transporters, converters

ance. The guide is being launched almost simultaneously in three continents this autumn: at the World Printers Fo- rum in India, Graph Expo in the USA and World Publishing Expo in Aus- tria. The richly illustrated guide fea- tures easy-to-read text detailing best practices and providing troubleshoot- ing guidelines for supervisors, op- erating staff, suppliers and supply chain managers. The 260-page guide is structured in 11 modules.

“We intend to expand the guide and keep it up to date. Everyone that reg- isters to download the e-book will receive updates,” adds Manfred Werfel , Deputy CEO of WAN-IFRA. Register at www.ophal.info to re- ceive the free e-book in November 2016.

UPM NEWS 22