Focus on Catalogs, Direct Mail, FSIs & Coupons and Brochures & Pamphlets

Reston, VA - PRIMIR, the Print Industries Market Information and Research Organization, the research unit of NPES, announces completion of a new research study: "Print Applications: Revenues, Processes and Run Lengths in Commercial Printing." Focused on the North American market, the research conducted by I.T. Strategies covers commercial, quick and retail printers (environments) and explores marketing and advertising applications in commercial printing including: catalogs, direct mail, free standing inserts/coupons (FSI), and brochures & pamphlets (B&P). Catalogs, direct mail, FSI/coupons and brochures & pamphlets made up about 35% of the 2010 U.S. market in terms of pages produced. With annual print revenues ranging from $2B to $4B, all four applications analyzed have decline rates of between 3%-5% in volume over the period 2010-2017, while the overall U.S. print market is expected to decline about 16%.

Despite volume declines, print buyers indicated a positive perception of print's value because of its ability to target specific markets and address many market levels. The research also indicates that little of the projected decline can be traced to competition from non-print technology.

According to the study's author, Mark Hanley, "A bigger threat may be emerging production digital specialist firms that are not considered commercial printers. They are not necessarily active in the four applications covered in this research, but could be in the future if their offerings exceed those of commercial printers in attractiveness to brand owners. Combined sales by digital equipment vendors into these channels equal approximately $6B. Combined global revenues in these channels for digital output are between $50B-$75B. These channels are a threat to legacy commercial print providers."

Run lengths are declining in all of the applications studied, primarily as a result of high manufacturing efficiencies and the ability to leverage just-in-time print runs on both conventional and digital presses. Sheetfed and web offset continue to dominate with digital production technology finding increased adoption in direct mail and brochures & pamphlets. In fact, by 2017 fully digital systems will account for 10-15% of the direct mail volume.

This research study was recently distributed to all PRIMIR members. An informative video overview [http://tinyurl.com/nqz3oeq] by study author Mark Hanley of I.T. Strategies, can be accessed complimentary at the PRIMIR website on the "Print Applications: Revenues, Processes and Run Lengths in Commercial Printing"page. For more information contact Rekha Ratnam, Assistant Director, Market Data/Research, at phone: 703/264-7200, e-mail: [email protected], or visit: www.primir.org.