In 2008, author Jeff Gomez announced, “Print is dead.” He’s the latest doomsday prophet to miss the print revolution.

Over the past century, the print advertising industry has continually re-invented itself. It easily survived radio and TV - innovations that were supposed to overwrite print practically overnight. Then came digital – the Web, Mobile, Kindle. And once again the death knell for print began to toll. But this time, it says: not so fast, my friend!

In fact, permission marketing guru Seth Godin predicts just the opposite. Just as TV advertisers didn’t envision TIVO, neither did the WEB bandwagon anticipate spamming to the degree of proliferation we have today.

Electronic marketing, plagued by an endless army of indefatigable spamaratzi, is becoming hopelessly saturated. Guess what’s there to fill the void?

Right – those relentless, reliable, envelope-stuffing direct marketing houses, whose credibility is rising exponentially even as your spam filter screams, “No Mas!”

But this is not your father’s direct mail industry. Today, savvy marketers use this medium to address niche markets. In the near future, they will employ new technologies to reach consumers on a one-to-one basis. In an age when consumers have perfected the ability to ignore messages, a VISA promotion in your front-porch mailbox seems far less intrusive than a dozen “Earn $100,000/month from Home” emails on your mobile phone.

Despite the current recession, ad spending is forecasted to increase through 2010 at 5 to 6% per year. Print can match that growth, if it remains relevant to advertisers.

The key is innovation. In our next newsletter, we’ll show you how.

Would you like to read "Part 2: Back in Black & White" today? Subscribe to our newsletter or contact Charlie Burke, CMO: charlie.burke@interverz.com.