“Print gives brands versatility, credibility, and power” declares Printsells

Brussels, Belgium [3 October 2007] – As companies spend large sums of money in an effort to get consumers to notice their brand in an ever overcrowded media landscape (according to Nielsen Global AdView, advertising expenditure has grown by 3.9% in the first half of 2007), many managers wonder how to get the best return on their investment. The PrintSells campaign showcases why print is the perfect media to highlight a company’s brand and build its product communication. The collaborative effort behind the campaign will improve people’s perceptions of print. Companies must realize how versatile, credible, and powerful creative print communications can be. No other medium does better at presenting a brand and getting it into the hands and hearts of consumers.

PrintSells illustrates the emotional impact print can have. The campaign brochures and advertisements are full of eye-opening facts, illustrations, and case studies, focusing on the four areas of direct mail, magazine advertising, in-store communications (brochures and catalogues), and printed corporate communications. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to change people’s perceptions and to help them realize that there are tangible, rational benefits to communicating in print.

The case studies support hard facts, such as that TV, radio, magazine and outdoor advertising perform up to 120% better when combined with direct mail, or how 65% of consumers consider ads to be an essential part of a magazine. Major brand partners such as Audi, Omega and American Express agreed to showcase their case studies in PrintSells to demonstrate how printed communications have benefited their business.

Frank Leerkotte, Managing Director of CEPIFINE, comments: “PrintSells was created because we want to change how people think about print. Print is a modern and dynamic medium that connects with the consumer in an emotional way that no other medium can, ultimately bringing a huge boost to a brand. Businesses need to know this, and this is the driving force behind PrintSells. This campaign is also unique because it brought together – and really engaged – associations and companies from various sectors to support print.”

WWW.PrintSells.ORG

Per Hörnell, IKEA’s Division Manager for Catalogue Procurement, says, “The IKEA marketing mix is all about positioning the IKEA Brand as the number 1 in the home furnishing market. The IKEA catalogue is a key element of this that is proven to permanently create traffic to the store and web. Print has benefited our business, and we are happy to contribute to the PrintSells campaign."

PrintSells exists through the active involvement of partners and associations from the entire print chain, including the printing, paper making, and postal industries. The campaign will span across eight weeks, from October to December, and is aimed at key decision makers from the fields of advertising, marketing, and communications in 13 European countries.

Ends

Background on the United Print Chain

PrintSells has been launched thanks to the efforts of the United Print Chain. This is a group of partners from all 13 European Countries where the campaign will appear, featuring leading European paper manufacturers, printers, printing machine manufacturers, magazine publishers and Postal Organizations, along with their respective Associations. The campaign is spearheaded by CEPIFINE, the European association of fine paper manufacturers. For more information, please visit www.printsells.org.

Contact Details

Public Relations: Interel, Julie Seifert, js@interel.be  - Phone: +32 (0) 2 731 66 88

CEPIFINE: Cynthia Wee, cynthia.wee@cepifine.org  – Phone: +32 (0) 2 640 0433

WWW.PrintSells.ORG