There is a controversy brewing about printers offering marketing services and/or branding themselves as marketers. Many people first read about this when Margie Dana the founder of Print Buyers International wrote in her blog, “I've had it with printing companies masquerading as marketing solutions providers …Who's the cluck behind this movement, anyway? Do you really think that print customers, creatives and corporate marketing managers won’t eventually find out that you're a manufacturer? Why are you hiding it, anyway? You’re not ashamed of being a printer, are you?” We got to hear about this on a more personnel level at NAPL’s Top Management Conference a few months ago. During one panel discussion with print buyers a few said they were not interested or happy that printers were offering or branding themselves as marketing services providers. Since then this has been covered in WhatTheyThink videos and online forums such as in Margie Dana’s print buyer’s blog on Printing Impressions and the LinkedIn forum Print Strategist. Aaron Hale, Industry Marketing Specialist at a manufacturer responded, “Margie, I have a lot of respect for you and your tenure in this industry, but I must disagree with you. When I was out there selling VDP (variable data printing) and cross-media services for a commercial printer, I hit the wall several times in sales engagements because of the trust-perception of the buyer. They weren't willing to risk a $50k cross media campaign expenditure with a company that had Printer in it's branding. I overcame a few of those barriers with differed margin pilots, but in the end the re-branding was really the only thing to do. A study that I did for my previous employer (a well known research company) about pricing strategies for multi-channel services showed that overall, those service providers that used the MSP moniker were getting 34% more revenue for the exact same service as those who were dubbed PSPs or Printers.” Responding on the LinkedIn Forum Print Strategist Angela Bond, a print buyer wrote, “As a print buyer I don't think I get to decide what printers offer or try to evolve to, any more than I can tell Wal-Mart what to be. I can only shop with my feet … It is not that the capabilities are not appreciated, it is more an issue of culture and relationship in my opinion. I find that many printers that really consider themselves MSPs not only are working to compete directly with agencies - despite the dramatically different core competencies - but they do not work well with agencies/print buyers. Many of these printers that I have worked with are unaccustomed to, unprepared for and unwilling to meet my standards; standards that are achievable and routinely met by other printers. Every aspect of working with them feels strained as they clearly feel put upon to "humor the crazy lady" at every step of the process. For me, these printers are not a good fit regardless of capabilities.” Do you think there is a controversy …or is this just hype? Howard Fenton is a Senior Technology Consultant at NAPL. Howie advises commercial printers, in-plants, and manufacturers on workflow management, operations, digital services, and customer research.