Offset Printing
ROTOGRAVURE PRINTING RETAINS POSITION IN CHANGING MEDIA ENVIRONMENT
Thursday 07. August 2008 - The print media remain popular, even in the age of electronic media. Despite the ongoing cost pressures, rotogravure printing still has a significant share in the daily production of magazines and catalogues.
Printing is an effective and attractive advertising tool. Despite increasing relevance of the electronic media, the printing media remain significant to the business of publishers and mail-order businesses as well as major trading companies.« This was emphasised by Nikolaus Broschek, President of the European Rotogravure Association (ERA), at a joint press conference of the ERA and the European Web Association (EWA) on the occasion of the Drupa in Düsseldorf. According to statements by the central association of the advertising industry in Germany (ZAW) on the advertising turnovers of the various media, daily newspapers and magazines recorded a 1.3 percent and 3.6 percent growth respectively in 2006, compared to 2005. Although online advertising growth was significantly stronger over the same period, its turnover of 495 million Euro it is still a far cry from the close on 1.9 billion Euro advertising turnover of magazines. As a marketing tool, the catalogue remains as significant as always to the business of mail-order firms and major trading companies. Although the basic bi-annual catalogue was converted in cases to three editions per annum with fewer pages but with the same print run, the catalogue volume overall did not decline, even considering the growth of specialised catalogues.
»The rotogravure printing industry contributed significantly to the print media remaining attractive and competitive in the face of a changing environment«, emphasised Broschek. With a turnover of eight billion Euro and approx. 20 000 employees, the publication rotogravure printers constitute a significant part of the European media industry. About five million tons of paper annually are printed in Europe in rotogravure printing of magazines, catalogues and advertising inserts.
But Broschek also pointed out the continuing cost pressures, due especially to the strong rise in the cost of energy and raw materials which is forcing companies into structural changes. As a result of investments and consolidation in the European rotogravure printing industry bringing about productivity increases, the industry is now in a phase of selective adjustment of printing capacities. »This active process«, says Broschek, »is intended to maintain the competitive position of international rotogravure printers as effective service providers for international publishers and traders. But a sustained improvement of the profitability of the companies is also indispensable.« Broschek is confident of the future of rotogravure printing: »Thanks to excellent and consistent print quality, especially also for high circulation jobs, rotogravure printing will maintain its significance in the production of magazines and catalogues in future as well, despite the ongoing changes in the media environment.«