This week a recently released video from IKEA promoting the new launch of their 2015 catalogue caught our attention. While the video does not specifically advertise any new products or ranges that they are introducing, the way in which it is presented is done with such style that you can’t help but be entertained by it. This is backed up by a strong and very relevant underlying message – why make a catalogue more complicated than it needs to be?
Digital vs. Physical
The current trend nowadays seems to be for everything to be available in digital form, whether it is books, music, games and more. The same applies to product catalogues, with many companies choosing to offer their full product ranges online or in the form of a downloadable catalogue app. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this practice, some companies are choosing to only make their ranges available this way – this can result in problems that you don’t get with a physical product.
- Internet access: Many of these online catalogues or apps require the internet to be viewed or used. No internet, no way to browse for items.
- Battery life and power cables: To read a digital catalogue you need to be on an electronic device which means you are reliant on being able to access a computer or your smartphone or tablet being charged.
- Problematic interface: Although they are designed to be as user-friendly as possible, sometimes digital catalogues can sometimes be a pain to navigate, with swipe gestures that don’t work or text that is too small to read.
These are just a few of the problems with looking for products, services and items digitally and it does raise the question of why we use them in the first place – what’s wrong with a book?
Books are simple and easy
The ease and simplicity of just owning and reading through a book is the central component of IKEA’s marketing campaign and the way in which that is represented through their video hits home in a big way. It shows clearly that, while many aspects of our lives are improved with modern technology, sometimes it is better not to over-complicate an idea just because you have the ability to – books have been around since the Romans, there is no need to change this after thousands of years. In general, as long as you can read you can pick up a catalogue and find what it is that you are looking for, you don’t need internet, electricity or anything else and that is the one advantage that printed material will always have over digital alternatives.
Be sure the check out the IKEA video for yourself below. If you would like help with printing your new catalogue then feel free to contact us at Colour Print on 01603 488001 or send an email to websales@col-print.co.uk.