With #IRS2017 now behind us, it is time publisheo look ahead. The IRS has indeed been shot in the arm for publishers. Apart from pure numbers, the growth trends across the print media and in regions have been encouraging and would have helped publishers increase both yields and revenues in the ordinary course.

However, most publishers charted their owdemonetizationmonths in advance.

The two critical happenings during the preceding months that affected the print media landscape more than the others were undoubtedly, Demonetisation a, nd the GST Bogey.

The way publishers reacted to these creates a cascading effect on the road ahead for print.

In November 2016, demonetisation was announced, and with no cash in the system, coupled with a decline in the consumption of products and services, advertising spending was reduced drastically.

Most publishers including the leaders in most markets, dropped their advertising rates to pick up whatever business they could to ensurea profitability. By the first quarter of 2017, to reduce spending again, with the government pumping in cash and the increase in digital wallets and moving to online banking, etc.

With the economy looking up, people felt the worst was over. However, the introduction of GST in the second quarter of the year was good enough reason for advertisers and clients to reduce spending again.

The net effect of both these key happenings edigitsd that most publishers reduced their advertising rates to garner revenues to achieve targets. The leaders started discounting which left no choice for the rest to follow. The general feedback across publishers is; now the revenue growth for the current financial year has been either flat or grown in single digit.

One needs to understand that during the last four years (which include the demonization and the GST era), no updated research data was available for planning. Yet most publishers reduced their rates to garner revenues, now with IRS 2017 showing good numbers and growth, will these publishers be able to increase their rates?

The question that comes to mind is whether publishers who have maintained growth or have grown in IRS 2017 could increase their rates and rea at least the thePublisobviousnetization. The publishers who have declined or lost their position to competition would have a more formidable challenge to hold on to the rates they have been working post-demonetisation

With revenue pressure and profitability increasing, publishers find themselves at the crossroads. It is very clear that publishers must work to find their long-term solutions and not rely only on quick-fix solutions to problems and issues.