It struck me recently that with all the focus and interest on social media and digital PR, we are giving short shrift to an aspect of ‘traditional media’ that I believe still holds a lot of value: the British newspaper.

Let me explain why.

The other half and I went blackberry picking at the weekend. We came away with two large tubs full of lovely juicy berries and popped them in the fridge, but we just couldn’t think of anything interesting to do with them outside of a crumble, blackberry pie or jam.

Then this morning I received a letter in the post from my mum (who I’d updated on our blackberry predicament). She’d cut out a summer pudding recipe from her local newspaper and sent it to me.

So I stuck it in the letter rack along with the other 14 newspaper articles she’s already posted to me this year, which range from restaurant reviews and ads for sofas, to recipes and health remedies, and even some articles on fishing.

You see, my mum actually reads the newspaper.  She doesn’t flip through the money pages and check the TV guide before turning to the crossword. No, she sits down with a cup of tea and gives the newspaper her full attention, with scissors on hand to cut out any titbits (she’s been doing viral marketing for years has my mum).

She’s not on Facebook, or Twitter. She probably thinks Spotify is some kind of illness. And she still prefers to go into her local travel agent to book her holidays.  My mum’s probably not the type of person any brand is going to reach with viral marketing or social media or banner ads or digital PR.

But if you’re looking to target a woman with time on her hands to really absorb a message, who feels compelled to proactively share interesting articles with friend and family, and has the purchasing power – and time – to take action if something catches her attention, then you could be making a mistake if you ignore print newspapers.