'Print Is the Only Medium That Can Bring All Five Senses to Life'

As we begin the New Year, we spoke to industry leaders to reflect on the shifts that shaped 2025 and the forces expected to define 2026. For Sivakumar Sundaram, CEO (Publishing), BCCL, 2025 marked a decisive moment in Print’s evolution—from a static medium to one that delivers immersive, multi-sensory brand experiences.

According to Sundaram, the trend that defined the Print space in 2025 was its evolution as a true impact medium, driven by the rise of sensorial advertising. "In 2025 Print continued to evolve as an Impact medium. Within this, one defining trend was how advertisers used Print to bring out Sensorial advertising. Print is the only medium that can help bring all 5 senses to life. We saw a number of innovations that used Print's ability to engage multiple senses to tell brand stories. When we infused Maggi's Print ad with the beloved aroma of the masala noodles, it not only invoked nostalgia but also turned the ad into a shared experience, fostering a sense of community in line with the brand's message. For the launch of Swadesh, a bespoke Luxury Brand from Reliance Industries that brings the different crafts of India to one accessible platform, we marked the opening of their flagship store with a unique jacket made of cloth, offering a tactile homage to India's rich history of craft. This way, Print is helping unlock new avenues for advertisers to connect with their consumers, in ways that was never imagined before."

Writing about the top trends for 2026, he says that Print is set to continue its growth trajectory, driven by three key forces: continued sensory engagement, mixed reality solutions, and conversation-starting narratives. "Going into 2026, we expect to Print to continue on its trajectory of growth along the trends of continued sensory engagement, mixed reality solutions and conversation-starting narratives. People are increasingly looking for off-screen experiences to combat digital fatigue. Print being the only medium that can engage all 5 senses offers a unique playground for brands to innovate and experiment with storytelling. While we saw multiple sensory innovations in 2025, we expect this trend to only grow going forward. Using Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality solutions, we are helping brands combine the dynamism of digital with the impact of Print. By simply scanning a QR code, we can take readers on a multimedia journey with videos and even custom interactions. Brands like Samsung, Google Pixel, and many more have already elevated their ads with mixed reality solutions. Going into the new year we expect more brands from more categories to follow suit. Lastly, Print has always been a medium that causes the whole nation to take notice and brands are now realising the potential for it to start conversations. When Britannia used a Jacket ad in The Times of India to reach out to Parle during Pride Month, the ad got the whole nation talking. A lively discussion started on social media resulting in millions more of additional reach. We expect more brands going forward to realise this potential Print has for starting dialogue and giving them a national spotlight."

(As told to Neeta Nair)