As with all things retro what goes around comes around.

Ever since the advent of the internet there has always been the doom mongers who say 'print is dead', a lot of folks also said the same thing about physical media.

Of course the heady days of printed magazines and newstands are not what they were but for many they still play a vital role in how they consume content.

It's a fact that 100+ year old print media and related news publications have found it difficult to commercially survive in today's 'eat all you can' digitally connected, find it for free, tech savvy world.

What we need to remember is that all of those traditional major news organisations, along with other magazine monoliths who are now scratching their heads to understand 'how to survive' in this post advertising apocalyptic world they created, were actually one of the first businesses to set foot (and shoot themselves in it) on the digital equivalent of the 'new world' called the internet. 

This is because they already had content, lots of it. 

They already had the resource and infrastructure for creating, generating and pumping this stuff out so why not just move it onto this 'internet thingy'. And with that initiative the dreaded banner ad was also born, and intrusive advertising overload followed sharply behind it. 

The transfer of the 'advertise and promote' mentality on the internet is now killing the 'Golden Goose', it's finally coming home to roost, throw into the mix GDPR and increased 'privacy' functions on your phone and it's no wonder the laying of 'Golden Advertising Revenue Eggs' are getting as rare as Rocking Horse shit for many of them.

So I read with delight and intrigue that there are now a number of 'start-ups' who still see the value of printed catalogues and I for one have to applaud them, along with wishing them all the best.

I just hope they also use the medium for something more than just filling the pages with product - something ASOS managed to change back in the day with their magazine format.

The common denominator between the success or otherwise of traditional printed media and their contemporary competitors has always the been the style and quality of journalism, from the 'Red Tops, to the Broad sheets, to the glamorous magazine world of Cosmo, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, Sports Illustrated and so on.  

Social media has democratised (good or bad) the share of voice so much so that now 'Bobby from Sheffield' can tell you how to make your own Knives and Forks (out of your old ones) in the same manner as the big Sheffield manufacturers did in the heyday. 

Same as 'Jenny from Shetland' can tell you how to make Vintage Outfits out of your old clothes and curtains, or 'Pauline from London' can show you how to make amazing bunches of flowers out of wild ones growing out of local hedges.

So, If printed catalogs are indeed making a comeback lets hope they do something other than just use 1950's style models, and look to 'entertain' us - after all, unlike a website this is more than a transactional brand experience - isn't it?