Newspapers Get a Reprieve

Could it be true, newspapers are getting a reprieve? We all know that physical newspaper sales have been sliding quickly in the last 5 years as most people consume news digitally. In recent news, fashion brands have quickly harped onto this lost opportunity giving newspapers a breath of fresh air and an increase in sales.

The strategy comes in light when highly coveted fashion brand Supreme decided to co-brand with the New York Post. When the announcement was posted on Instagram, the newspaper that was available for $1 was completely gone within a day. Loyal customers scoured New York City for their copy and flipping it for 15X on eBay. Last year the cult-like fashion brand advertised on the back of NYC MetroCards to further its local brand awareness campaign. Supreme is known to build brand awareness through some not so conventional ways and it clearly shows that it works.

Supreme isn’t the only one taking advantage of this opportunity. Fashion mogul, Alexander Wang also plastered the logo of Page Six on his men’s collection in January this year which debuted at New York Fashion Week.

Last month Saks Fifth Avenue created window displays with mannequins wearing newspaper print which was dedicated to the New York Times and Sacai of Japan. The mannequins sported T-shirts and hoodies with the slogan “Truth: It’s More Important Now Than Ever.”

It leads us to wonder could print be making a major comeback in a not so traditional kind of way? The possibility is there as the dying industry strives to come up with creative strategies and co-branding opportunities in order to drive sales. In the next couple of years, print will start to rely on collaborations such as that of Supreme and Saks as an additional source of revenue. It would also be interesting to see if print co-branding opportunities expand outside fashion and spill over into other industries.