Free WhatTheyThink webinar, sponsored by Ricoh, discussed Use of Augmented Reality in Print Publications 

Lexington, Kentucky USA -- WhatTheyThink today reported that nearly 300 industry professionals tuned in to a free printing industry educational webinar on December 5, 2012. Social Media Meets Print: Part Two, was sponsored by Ricoh. This second in a two-session series was led by WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne. 

Access to the free webinar archive is available by visiting WhatTheyThink.com and selecting the Webinars tab.

“In Part One of this series, we heard from a marketing services provider who has successfully integrated social media into his business and is developing new revenue streams by providing customer social media services,” said Sherburne. “This session took that discussion to the next level with a magazine publisher as our speaker. Research shows that 70% of mobile searches lead to action within one hour—and print can be an important vehicle for getting those mobile searches started. This session discussed how magazine publishers and marketers can use augmented reality to make print interactive and cause the initiation of some of those important mobile searches.” 

Sherburne was joined by Mary Van Meter, Publisher of Newspapers & Technology, a resource for insight, analysis and technology integration in newspaper, magazine, digital and hybrid operations and production, which she founded in 1987.  In September of 2012, Van Meter published the first augmented-reality enhanced version of Newspapers & Technology and spoke about why she felt it was important, what early results have revealed, how advertisers have reacted and where she sees this going in the future.

“Our webinars provide a good opportunity for print service providers to hear from experts and get their questions answer live,” said Randy Davidson, CEO of WhatTheyThink. “This session addressed a complicated application—augmented reality—and presented a terrific opportunity to gain a better understanding of how it works and the value it can bring to print. We appreciate Ricoh’s generosity in sponsoring this important industry event, making it available to our viewers at no charge.

About Ricoh

Ricoh is a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in more than 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2012, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 1,903 billion yen (approx. 23 billion USD).

The majority of the company's revenue comes from products, solutions and services that improve the interaction between people and information. Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability initiatives.

Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change. Ricoh helps companies transform the way they work and harness the collective imagination of their employees.

For further information, please visit
www.ricoh.com/about/ 

About Newspapers & Technology 

Newspapers & Technology is a monthly trade publication for newspaper publishers and department managers involved in applying and integrating technology. Written by industry experts, News & Tech provides regular coverage of the following departments: prepress, press, postpress and new media. Newspapers & Technology is published monthly by Conley Magazines, LLC. For more information, visit www.newsandtech.com. 

About WhatTheyThink

WhatTheyThink is the printing and publishing industry's leading media organization; offering a wide range of publications delivering unbiased, real-time market intelligence, industry news, economic and trend analysis, peer-to-peer communication, and special reports on emerging technology and critical events. Independent studies rank WhatTheyThink as the one industry website that contains the most interesting articles, according to 58.2% of senior printing executives, and the one website most frequently chosen as the “Must Visit and Read.” WhatTheyThink also hosts webinars and live events as well as providing content through a syndication program, which delivers content directly to related websites. In addition, WhatTheyThink offers a wide range of lead generation and branding programs that help print- and publishing-related businesses achieve business growth.

For more information about partnering with WhatTheyThink, contact [email protected] or [email protected].