On the subject, Ambi Parameswaran, founder, Brand-Building.com, said, “Print advertising will grow in India for at least a decade or so, but newspapers will have to sell themselves better. We are a market full of opportunities.”

Digital media is fast and accessible, but it does not give any feel, the kind of feel you get in newspaper advertisement. “Ultimately, print gives more options for innovation,” he said.

He gave the example of the latest innovation Tata Motors came up with in multiple editions of The Time of India to promote Zest, its new compact sedan. Along with a four-page advertorial supplement with the main paper, the advertiser had attached a 9 gm key in a transparent packet. “The reader could visit a Tata showroom with the key and get a test drive. I do not think this kind of innovation can be done in digital,” Parameshwaran said.

The innovation was carried out in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Pune and Nashik. FCB Ulka was the creative agency for the innovation and Lodestar was the media buying and selling agency.

"Print advertising can continue to grow and thrive if it can engage with its audiences better, understand the requirements of brands, continuously innovate and explore new territories,” he concluded.