Paper in short supply

Print is still the channel with the highest advertising spend – with a share of 40.6%, print media are clearly ahead of television (29.9%) and online (16.8%) and achieve higher activation rates.* Even the Corona-induced online hype of recent years has not changed this. As much as we like to develop clever and practical ideas for our customers, it is unfortunately difficult for us at the moment to act spontaneously as usual when producing catalogs, posters, folders or mailings.

As the paper industry increasingly shifts to the lucrative production of board, graphic paper has become a hotly contested scarce commodity. The paper industry has also been reduced to a few global players in recent decades through mergers and acquisitions, and China has dropped out as a market player due to the imposition of punitive tariffs. Print shops therefore have to estimate a lead time of up to seven months for large print runs (e.g. mass mailings) – instead of the usual two to three weeks. The paper industry has also used the argument of a shortage of raw materials and energy to drive up prices enormously. Whereas a ton of paper cost less than 650 euros on average in 2020, today’s prices are already 1,300 euros and more – and are mostly no longer fixed for the long term, but are reset on a daily basis.

All of this means that we are not always able to act as flexibly and calculate as reliably as we would like. But what is the saying? Good things take time! Even if you currently have to plan mailings earlier to be able to deliver them on time – you can rely on their activating effect! And there is light at the end of the paper tunnel: The Austrian federal government is discussing relief for energy-intensive industries, and the paper industry, as an important producer of renewable energy, could benefit from the Renewable Energy Expansion Act. In the medium term, therefore, there is every hope that supply and demand in the paper industry will also return to normal.

You can find out more about our print advertising options on our website.

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