Alexandria, VA (February 2, 2002) – "Print: The Original Information Technology" has been adopted as the heart of a print awareness campaign by the Printing Industries of America (PIA), the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF), and the Printing Association of Florida (PAF) in a consolidated effort to unite an industry and champion the value of print among the general public. Without print, other revolutionary information technologies such as the telephone, the television, the computer, or the Internet could not have been invented. Yet a major study by the British Printing Industries Federation of the public’s opinion of print confirmed suspicions—print media is not as well perceived as other media. "Repositioning print media as an integral part of the information technology—or IT—sector of the US economy will be a main objective of this campaign," said Ray Roper, president of PIA, at the campaign launch, February 2 at the Graphics of the Americas show in Miami, Florida. He continued, "It will also focus on positioning print with some specific audiences who are important to our industry such as our lawmakers. This awareness and positioning will be achieved through the consistent use of the campaign theme and logo by print media companies and the associations that represent them over an extended period of time." Everyone Aboard "Print: The Original Information Technology," or Print IT, can be supported by every segment of the printing industry—sheetfed or web printers, gravure, flexographic or digital printers, even textile printers. In the past, numerous specialty niches with differing messages proved to be a challenge in presenting a unified message. Under this campaign which is applicable to all, the vast numbers and diverse businesses are opportunities to raise the frequency of the message and reach numerous audiences. PIA has initially called upon 26 industry organizations to adopt the campaign. "We need everyone’s help to provide a consistent, coherent message promoting print media to the average American," says Roper. "Our advantage is having no less than an army of communicators—1.2 million employees in nearly 46,000 facilities nationwide—rather than a handful of large companies only contributing funding toward an awareness campaign." Also, unlike many commodity industries that receive government assistance to fund the use of mass media in awareness programs, the printing media industry has the advantage of being a communication industry. It has the capability in its plants and publications to create and convey a positive image for the industry on a nationwide basis. Moving Forward Through the Print IT campaign, PIA will provide the guidance and access to promotional tools to support a national effort to increase the awareness of and appreciation for print media. The organization is currently identifying sources for a wide variety of materials that will feature the logo and theme of the campaign. Such materials include large truck decals, posters, billboards, decals for offices, bumper stickers, corporate identity materials such as letterhead, business cards and invoices, yellow page advertisements, web pages, shipping cartons, etc. Revenue generated from the sale of these materials will underwrite the cost of promoting the campaign. The first to implement the campaign is the Printing Association of Florida, Inc. (PAF). Working with a Florida advertising firm, AvantiPlus, PAF is purchasing five advertisements carrying the Print IT message and is seeking printing partners in the effort. PAF is also customizing the logo to reflect the industry within its state. PAF president Michael Streibig says, "Now is the right time to implement this campaign." He refers to current economic conditions, coupled with the fact that print media is a mature industry that faces immense competition from other media in terms of perceived image. "The story of ‘print’ is an incredible success story and a unified effort to tell it could significantly boost the value of our product." Companies and national, regional, and local associations affiliated with print media that are interested in becoming involved with the Print IT campaign can visit www.gain.net for initial information.