Let’s Hear It For The Written Word
Long Live the Written Word!
In my blog this month, (“They” Said It Would Be Dead) I spoke about how decades ago someone thought that the written word was dead or at the very least dying. Shortly after I wrote that piece, I came across an article posted at wired.com in 2009 that supports my position that the written word is far from dead or dying.
The article states, “Conventional wisdom holds that YouTube, videogames, cable TV and iPods have turned us away from the written word. Glowing streams of visual delights replaced paper and longhand letters shrank to bite-sized Facebook status updates, the theory held. Conventional wisdom, in this case, is wrong.”
And as you can see that article was posted 10 years ago. (iPods have been usurped by iPads). At that time, according to the wired.com piece, a large-scale study was conducted by the University of California at San Diego and other universities that actually shows that people are reading more than ever. In fact as new technologies are introduced we read more. “Reading, which was in decline due to the growth of television, tripled from 1980 to 2008, because it is the overwhelmingly preferred way to receive words on the Internet.”
The Pen Is Still Mightier
I love the written word (can you tell!!) and I am so happy and much relieved that people still gain information and knowledge through the mighty word. And even though our electronic smart devices are at the center of our lives, they can’t exist without the written word. In fact there is an emerging trend that is going back to pen and paper. No, we won’t be going all the way back, but writing with a pen or pencil on a blank piece of paper is returning to favor.
As pointed out in the wired.com piece, “Technology may have truncated and warped the written word in some cases, while increasing competition for our time. But technology hasn’t found a substitute for the written word as a means of conveying certain types of information. And, in fact, it has made reading and writing even more essential parts of everyday life.”
Popular Promotional Items Are Proof
I appreciate all the studies that point to the continued growth and necessity for the written word. But, I don’t need the studies to know that it’s the truths. I simply have to pay attention to what my clients are clamoring for. Right now, personal journals and notebooks are sizzling hot. Oh yes, so are mighty pens!
Beautiful journals debossed with your company logo may be just the item that will keep you at the top of your clients’ favored list. Make it one with recycled paper or paper made of stone and you’ll take it up a notch! Yes, I did say ‘stone’. Sounds like an oxymora, paper made of stone. In reality it’s a paper-like material made of stone. It’s also known as limestone paper, rock paper and mineral paper. And the fact is, stone paper is all the rage. And many notebooks and journals of today can be embedded with NFC chips to make them more interactive and take you to landing pages or websites for more up-to-the-minute content about your product or service. Or even a special promotional offer! Very exciting technology.
Write On
Some thoughts are meant to be written by hand on a piece of paper with a lovely pen. It’s not too early to start thinking about which of your clients, prospects and team members would appreciate such a classic gift for the upcoming summer holidays or for those holidays that are just around the corner from summer. We can help you select what’s best for you and we’ll cheer you on with an encouraging “write on”!