Just when you think you've got a handle on where communication trends are heading, new game-changers surface with the potential to dramatically shake things up. Communication technologies are changing faster than any of us could have imagined. To succeed in this ever-changing landscape, graphic communications professionals must continually adapt in response to these changes. If you're not preparing for the future, you might be left in your competitors' dust.

Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter (1883 – 1950) popularized the term of “creative destruction,” describing it as the industrial transformation that accompanies innovation. According to Schumpeter, entrepreneurs disrupt the prevailing business model by introducing superior product designs, manufacturing techniques, distribution systems, organizational methods, marketing communications, or financial instruments. This often results in the creation of new economic benefits (more efficient allocation of capital, greater consumer utility, etc.) and a destruction of the monopoly power that established companies had previously enjoyed. This cycle often repeats itself; each successful innovation creates a source of temporary market power that erodes the position of established firms, and these firms ultimately succumb to the pressure of the new innovations.

As evidenced by the explosive, innovative changes that are occurring in today’s printing industry, creative destruction is clearly taking hold. Labor-intensive manual processes are being displaced by more automated and productive digital workflows, and traditional marketing communication channels are being threatened by digital marketing. All of this causes turmoil for business owners, and even more change is on the way. Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore the disruptive forces that are expected to impact the market—forces that might ultimately prompt you to rethink and retool your business models!