There are no decent (non-commercial) poster spots in Finland (and no, A3-sized print is not actually a poster). In some countries poster walls and poles (if that's the precise term) still exist and thrive, but not in Finland. If you want to, let's say, promote a concert or a gig in Finland, you either need to pay loads of money for commercial spots or you have to do it more or less, krhm, illegally.

As there are no logical (and legal) spots to hang posters, the poster culture slowly seizes to exist. As a result, posters may become something that's done by designers for other designers, not for "normal" layman. Nowadays its more common to even have a poster designed to be presented only in a gallery or a museum, not on the streets where it should be displayed. 

But is it reasonable to cry for posters? Maybe designers should just dump the posters and use other media to create something visually similar. Janne previously posted an article about the "Oblivion of Album Art" and yes, album cover is poster-like in a way. Album covers attract, speak, shout, whisper and they are designed to tell a story. They must interact with the viewer, otherwise they are worthless. Just like posters. 

However, album art is changing due to new formats. Soon they may become a niche medium like posters - only certain people like DJ's and vinyl enthusiasts will buy (and see) them in the future. So, what would be a medium that stands the test of time, if posters and album covers won't?

I'd vote for a book.

They have declared many times that books as a format is dead. Who knows. People might move to some electronic reading devices (like Kindle) in the future, but I'd predict that the good old paper book format will be around for another few hundred years. Paper book is still way superior when compared to any gadget. Just pick it up and use, anywhere, anytime, no plugins and electricity needed.

And what's best (in a graphic designer's way) is that books provide an excellent and interesting medium to play with.

Just check out the Finest Finnish Book awards (suomenkielinen sivusto löytyy täältä). Like small posters that fit into your pocket. Not to mention the content, which is also beautifully designed.