The future of print media was a talking point at the annual Decoded Fashion event in London this month, alongside debates on the wider areas of publishing. Panels discussed ways in which the fashion industry has dealt with the rise of social networking, and why print media is still just as important as always.

Sessions focused on how to get customers to notice your brand, empowering consumers by giving them a platform to communicate with you via social media, and finding new ways to get the most out of print media. For some companies, a switch over to digital has been carried out by replicating print magazines on a screen; however, it was widely acknowledged that a high-quality glossy magazine was still considered by many to be a far more valuable asset for browsing the industry’s latest trends.

Top names were included in the discussion, including ASOS’ editorial and design director Duncan Edwards and Style.com’s Dirk Standen, editor in chief. The general consensus was that while digital media is becoming big business, the magazine has become a statement piece for branding, meaning that utilising both forms of marketing is still the best way to get the optimum amount of visibility and exposure.

Smaller businesses are finding the same applies, with personalised flyers and brochures providing high-quality images and a chance to create a multi-platform media strategy.