PPB May 2020

Print calendars have survived the digital age—and they are thriving. A 2010 study of calendar usage in the workplace, co-sponsored by PPAI and The Calendar Advertising Council, shows that 79 percent of respondents enjoy receiving calendars as a complimentary gift and that eight out of 10 respondents report having a printed calendar at work. Forty-eight percent of respondents said they use a wall calendar, while one-third prefer to use desk calendars. With one of the lowest costs per impressions in the industry, printed calendars are still very much up to date. One of the reasons paper planning remains popular is because of the endless ability to personalize products. Unlike standard cellphone calendars, paper planners allow users to add accessories like pens with vivid ink colors and color-coded tabs, stickers and inserts. End users want a portable calendar that speaks to their individual style and reflects who they are, according to The NPD Group. Research shows Millennials are drawn to brighter and more colorful paper planners that allow them to add details, like their name. But Millennials aren’t just writing things down, they’ve taken paper planning a step further with the aesthetically pleasing bullet journaling method. Bullet journaling is an eye- appealing system that allows planners to customize lists, notes, tasks and events using different symbols, colors and fonts. On Pinterest, the hashtag #bujo shows how that generation embodies both self-knowledge and self-tracking. While bullet journaling seems like a distant cousin to The Franklin Planner, a paper time management system created by HyrumW. Smith that grew popular in the mid-1980s, paper planning engages our tactile senses and offers a refreshing break from technology. Despite the growth in paper organizers coming from newer, smaller and youth-focused companies, Moleskine, a classic luxury maker of planners and notebooks once beloved by Picasso and Hemingway, has skyrocketed in popularity, according to an NPD Group study. Moleskine reinvented itself by marketing the brand as having a philosophy of “culture, travel, memory, imagination and personal identity.” End users won’t shy away from higher price points when looking for paper planning products, the study also showed. End users want fashion- forward, higher-quality calendars and planners they can use regularly and keep year-round. Although the need for paper calendars hasn’t changed, the number of calendars consumers use simultaneously and where they keep them has changed. The number of printed calendars in households in 2011 was 3.12 compared to 3.98 in 1981, according to PPAI’s research. The kitchen remains the prime display location for calendars, with 75 percent of respondents saying they keep a calendar in their kitchens. The average number of printed calendars per business was 2.10, down from 2.56 in 1981. When choosing a calendar for a client, keep in mind the most memorable images evoke feelings of peacefulness, joy, contentment, love, relaxation, comfort, security, oneness, rejuvenation, synchronization, immersion and pure tranquility, according to a Rider University professor. Custom, Clever, Creative Calendars This Vynex Peel&Place ultra-thin counter mat is a highly visible, inexpensive way to deliver clients’ messages using a calendar to countertops everywhere. Removable and repositionable, these low-profile mats are virtually flush with the countertop and are kept firmly in place by a special low-tac, removable adhesive. The advertiser’s brilliant color image is protected under a tough, scratch-resistant, Vynex textured matte surface. Calendar counter mats are great for use with scheduling at medical offices, veterinary practices, gyms, etc. Made in the USA. CounterPoint / PPAI 227346, S7 www.doyoupop.com | MAY 2020 | 39 GROW