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Print and Radio, once considered as declining formats in a digital-first world, are making an unexpected comeback and lifestyle and apparel brands are leading the charge.
In a surprising turn revealed by a new report from advertising agency Excellent Publicity, the sector increased its ad spends on Print by 21 per cent and Radio by 12 per cent in 2024, even as television and digital spends plunged by 59 per cent and 71 per cent, respectively, compared to 2022. The shift signals a strategic rethink by marketers who are rediscovering the value of traditional media in delivering trust, attention, and brand storytelling, especially in a fragmented digital landscape.
Interestingly, over 1,860 advertisers were exclusively present in this category via Print during the year, showing a considerable uptick from 2023.
TAM AdEx data reinforces this trend, revealing that Print retained a dominant 55 per cent share of lifestyle and apparel ad volumes in 2024. Additionally, over 1,500 new brands in the lifestyle and fashion sector advertised in print for the first time during the year—highlighting the medium's continued relevance and advertiser expansion.
Explaining the renewed confidence in print, Sandeep Lodha, Managing Director, Condé Nast India, shared, “Yes, we’ve seen strong momentum across these categories, with advertising growing in the range of 25–30%. Our advertisers are leaning into our platforms to reach premium, discerning audiences in a culturally rich environment.”
He attributes this shift not just to changing marketing strategies but to the trust that comes with established print brands. “Brands are choosing platforms like ours that offer the right audience, high trust, high attention and cultural influence, and because the environment matters. Whether it’s the authority in print or the influence and reach of our digital platforms, we offer brands the right environment to be seen, heard and remembered.”
Uday Jadhav, CEO of Sakal Media Group, echoed the sentiment, noting a significant rise in lifestyle and apparel advertisers over the past two years. “The rise in lifestyle and apparel advertisers in print media is notable, and Sakal had double-digit growth in 2024 compared to the previous year. This growth can be attributed to new advertisers joining the market. Print ads allow luxury brands to reach their targeted audience at a reasonable cost. After COVID, many consumers want to lead their whole lives and spend a lot on luxury products.”
He added that discount-driven and value-led formats have also played a key role. “Sales promotions, discount driven ads, and combination promotions like ‘Buy One Get One’ deals have contributed to the growth, catering to price-sensitive shoppers. Top luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes, iPhones and Rado are also expanding to newer markets and have been advertising with Sakal, and they are pleased with the results.”
Jadhav also pointed to migration trends as a key driver. “The migration rate has increased in the last five years. People are coming from rural areas to urban areas and carrying a lot of aspirations. Once they start settling down in the Metro, they try to adopt a new lifestyle with good cars, branded clothing, shoes, electronics, gadgets, etc. This factor leads to high demand for retail products. Advertisement print is delivering good ROI for the investments made by retail brands.”
South print players lead the charge
Print’s resurgence isn’t uniform across geographies when it comes to lifestyle and apparel advertisers. The South Zone publications accounted for 37% of total ad spends in the lifestyle and apparels category in 2024, with the North Zone following at 31%. Key contributors in the South included Eenadu, Malayala Manorama, Daily Thanthi, The Hindu, and regional editions of The Times of India.
According to industry observers, southern markets have historically shown stronger brand affinity and loyalty, particularly in categories like fashion and retail making them fertile ground for print-based campaigns.
“Print is still a habit in the South,” said an industry source. “In cities like Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai, the morning paper continues to be a trusted source of discovery and purchase cues.”
Why are brands choosing tangibility over targeting?
While digital media promised reach, targeting, and real-time metrics, the fragmentation of attention, concerns around brand safety, and the fatigue of oversaturation have led to many advertisers re-assessing their spends.
For global fashion retailer UNIQLO, the strategic logic is simple: Print helps the brand showcase their line-up
and collection in a more effective and immersive way.
Nidhi Rastogi, Marketing Director, UNIQLO India mentioned, “Especially for UNIQLO where we want to show more information about our products, print helps us deliver that message well.”
Her sentiment is echoed by Kanwalpreet Walia, Business Head- Handbags Division at Titan Ltd, who emphasized the static and tactile nature of print as a value-add for premium product communication. “You know, for captive eyeballs and messaging, print is great. When we go to a specific city and we want to capture many things about the brand like address, visuals, and storytelling, then print works magic.”
“It’s there in the house, you pick it up, you read it, and it probably stays a whole day in front of your eyes, which works for print,” she added.
The Excellent Publicity report also observed that peak advertising in print occurs during marquee events such as the IPL, ICC T20 World Cup, and the ICC ODI World Cup events that are typically dominated by TV and digital ad blitzes. Brands take the opportunity to piggyback on the fervour surrounding these events to reinforce brand imagery in print, tapping into the celebratory and spend-happy mindset of the readers.
According to an industry source, "This hybrid pattern of coupling event buzz with static, visually rich ads in newspapers has worked especially well for jewellery, fashion, and ethnic wear categories."
“We’re seeing brands come back not because they’re nostalgic, but because they’re pragmatic. ROI on digital has plateaued for many lifestyle categories. Print gives them space, seriousness, and stickiness. In a 15-second world, the one-minute read can be luxury and luxury is what these brands want to associate with,” he added.
Long-term bet, not one-time blip
Experts believe that this isn’t a one-off anomaly but part of a longer-term hybrid approach where traditional media regains its share of the pie, especially in specific verticals like fashion, luxury, and lifestyle.
“Print is not going to replace digital or TV, but it’s definitely reclaiming a larger chunk of the budget where credibility, cultural alignment, and content-led storytelling matter,” said the source.
As consumers tire of digital clutter and brands rediscover the power of thoughtful storytelling, it seems print is not only alive, it's thriving. And in the lifestyle and apparel game, that could be the boldest fashion statement yet.
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