Speaking at a South China Morning Post (SCMP) conference on the role of print in Hong Kong and its survival in an increasingly technology-focused media environment, keynote speaker Earl Wilkinson, executive director of the International Marketing Association, pointed to the sustained power of print as a medium.
He noted that there are 8,391 daily newspapers in circulation worldwide, of which 2,870 are in Asia.
"The biggest threat to the SCMP and other print titles is (internet portal) Google," Wilkinson said, urging the industry to change marketing practices instead of the media itself.
The newspaper conference also included a panel on creative possibilities of the medium, led by Chris Kyme, creative partner, Eight Partnership.
Other speakers were Nancy Valiente, MD, SCMP and Sopa chairman, and David Armstrong, director, editorial, SCMP.
New media to eat into print revenue if steps not taken
Newspaper owners have been warned that if they fail to keep up with tech-savvy readers, they run the risk of new media eating into their advertising revenue.