Just Between Us: Peering into the Inner Workings of Peer Groups

Some printers draw their power from peer groups: small, private circles of owners who use candor and confidentiality to solve common problems and share models for business success.

The Drive for Better Use of Data to Build Loyalty in 2014

When effective, loyalty programs can bring significant business opportunities to marketers and service providers alike. This article discusses the new media technologies that enable a connection with customers, while also exploring how loyalty programs can be used to engage existing customers.

3D Print Building More Than Hype

Sean Smyth of Digital Demand World, the publication for the digital print industry, looks at the progress of 3D printing and the momentum being built that promises an emerging technology that commercial printers can profit from.

Storefronts and Digital Magazines

Since its launch in March of 2011, Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite has captured a significant market share of digital magazine issues (Adobe claims 80% of top 100 magazines on iTunes) and we have followed its progress both in terms of added features and results for publishers. This article by Senior Editor Cary Sherburne takes a look at another option for digital magazine publishing. Mag+ launched in 2010. Mag+ premiered on the first iPads in April 2010 with PopularScience and has recently attracted former MPA Senior Vice President, Digital Strategy & Initiatives Ethan Grey as its Director of Product Strategy.

Is It Time to Specialize Your Sales Force?

In today’s market, you must align your sales organization with your overall business strategy while also accommodating the changing demands of your customer base. This article discusses how taking a specialist approach can help you meet these objectives.

NPOA: Newest Star in the Association Constellation Aims to Be the Brightest for Quick and Small Firms

For an organization that’s said to have come into existence almost by accident, the National Print Owners Association (NPOA) has traveled a remarkably long way in a surprisingly short time.

EFI Highlights “Big Bets” at Connect 2014

About 1,500 people descended on the Wynn Las Vegas for Connect 2014 at the end of January. WhatTheyThink captured lots of video interviews (watch for them!) and had an opportunity to participate in the event as well. Here are a few Connect 2014 thoughts, including an interview with Benny Landa, who joined EFI CEO Guy Gecht in making an exciting announcement re: Landa Digital Printing.

Dscoop University to Debut at Dscoop9 in Orlando

In Part Three of our Dscoop series, WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with John Tenwinkel, Director of Dscoop University, for a sneak peek into its debut at the upcoming Dscoop9 conference and what it will mean for Dscoop members worldwide.

E Pluribus Unum: “Butterflies & Buffalo” Project Uses Wide-Format Graphics to Document and Celebrate American Cultures

In this age of poor-quality cameraphone images and unflattering “selfies,” it’s easy to forget how powerful high-quality, professional photography can be.

IDEAlliance, TAGA, and Their Quests to Make Sense of It All

IDEAlliance and TAGA are closest things that the industry has to “brain trusts”: trade associations that have taken upon themselves the daunting task of curating the industry’s practical intellectual capital.

Advertising Agency Employment Surpasses Commercial Printing, Reflecting the Shift from Traditional Media

The major news in the data update is that employment in advertising agencies surpassed that of the printing industry in July 2013. For 2013, printing employment was down by -12,600 (-2.8%). The biggest change was in employees outside of production who were -8,400 of that decline (-5.7%). Graphic design employment was down slightly for the year, but these data do not include freelancers, which are an essential part of that business. Inside the advertising agency employment data are public relations employees, the main area of employment growth in this sector.

Eight Steps to Winning a Sales Process

Companies that were disappointed with their 2013 results may be hoping that the year ahead will bring better things, but creating a winning sales process involves more than just hope. This article discusses 8 steps that businesses can take to improve their sales processes in 2014.

Chris Petro Discusses Global Aspects of Dscoop

Chris Petro is an innovator and thought leader in the digital printing industry and has given selflessly of his time to Dscoop over the past several years, currently serving as the Chairman of the Global Board of Directors as well as running his own multinational business, GlobalSoft Digital Solutions. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently spoke with Petro to learn more about what is happening with Dscoop on a global basis, and new developments he expects for the future.

2013 US Commercial Printing Shipments Reach $77.6 Billion

The Department of Commerce released December 2013 and revised November data. December shipments were $6.271B (-3.7% vs. Dec. 2012). On a current dollar basis, the total for the year was $77.6B, -3.8%. After adjusting for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, shipments were down -5.1%. The chart below shows current dollar and inflation-adjusted shipments starting with 2007

Inflation-adjusted US Printing and Print Services Shipments

Megatrends in Packaging: The Digital Age

The digital age is changing our world. Forces driving the change are: people, information and technology.

Association Activism at the Grass Roots: PIAlliance, PGAMA, and PIASC

If all politics is local, the same is true of the work done by the printing industry’s regional trade associations. The executive directors of three PIA regional affiliates discuss how they bring grass-roots insight to the universal challenges of trade association management.

You’re Embracing Change… But What Are Your Customers Looking For?

Marketing industry pundits have been analyzing today’s trends and are making recommendations about how to do things differently in the New Year. This article summarizes the insight that is being delivered to your customers and prospects from a variety of sources.

New CapEx Report Shows Substantial Interest in Investment in Wide-Format Capabilities

Our own Dr. Joe Webb has just published the results of his latest survey of commercial printers and their planned investments for 2014—Strategies for Management’s 2014 U.S. Commercial Printers Capital Investment Survey and Forecast.

Dscoop9 Shaping Up to be “Best Ever”

It’s hard to believe that we are already in the 9th year of the Dscoop conference, the highly successful annual event for the Dscoop independent HP user group. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with both the Executive Director of Dscoop Mike Fogarty and Conference Chair Gary Garner, Chairman & CEO of GLS Companies, to find out why Dscoop9 is being positioned as the “Best Ever” and what the organization has done to keep its momentum going.

The Inkjet Paper Chase

Paper has always been critical to the printing process. After all, paper is both the raw material and the end product. Nowhere is that more apparent than when transitioning to production inkjet printing. Paper selection will have a tremendous impact on the production quality and profitability of your inkjet solution.

Transforming and Automating Workflows: Getting work into the plant Part Two - Have We Arrived or is it Just a Rest Stop?

In Part two of this two part article, David looks at some of the current solution offerings that are designed to bring your client’s jobs into your plant to see if and how they are meeting the challenges of today’s service provider.

2014: It’s Time for Service Providers to Embrace Change (Part 3)

The communications world is changing, and printers of all sizes are realizing that it’s time to reposition their businesses. This article is the third in a three-part series on the top trends of 2014 that can help you grow revenues and profitability. It evaluates the options for transforming your business model.

PIA and NAPL: Where They Are, and Where They Go from Here

Because they mirror the industry they serve, the printing industry’s two principal trade associations are seeing a picture they may sometimes have trouble recognizing. But, the groups say they have adapted to circumstances, learned from mistakes, and committed themselves to strategies for stability.

Finishing Digitally Printed Labels: What Do You Really Need?

In the world of label production, finishing or converting a label is as important as the accuracy and quality of the printing process itself. The decision whether to use inline or offline finishing/converting solutions depends on the make-up of incoming orders and the specific market needs of the customer.

With the Ring of a Bell and a Self-Confident Flourish, Kodak Returns to the New York Stock Exchange

Kodak’s renewed self-confidence as a B2B company focused on imaging for business was on full display as the company grandly relisted its common stock at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on January 8.

2014: It’s Time for Service Providers to Embrace Change (Part 2)

Service providers must support their customers with strategies that integrate print, mobile, online, and social media. This article is the second in a three-part series on the top trends of 2014 that can help you grow revenues and profitability. It discusses the implementation of emerging technologies to effectively engage customers and showcases new capabilities/applications that can open new revenue streams for your business.

Xerox Appoints Jacobson to New COO Role for Technology Business, Promotes Copley to President, Graphic Communications Business Group

Xerox announced a significant organizational change, creating a new position as Chief Operating Officer for its Technology (versus Services) Business for industry veteran Jeff Jacobson, who joined Xerox in 2012 as President of Xerox’s Graphic Communications Operation. Andrew Copley, who joined Xerox 18 months ago, will step into the role vacated by Jacobson. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Copley in an exclusive WhatTheyThink interview to get the inside scoop.

Inflation-adjusted Annualized US Publishing & Advertising Agency Revenues

This chart shows the inflation-adjusted revenue trends for selected content-creation businesses. Note how advertising revenues have increased despite the declines in the revenues to publishers. Agencies have shifted much of their efforts to developing “earned media” (a/k/a search engines, social media, e-marketing and numerous other digital formats), and the production of it.

Maximizing Your Recycled Waste Revenue

Sometimes waste is something to get rid of. Other times, it can make money. Depending on your situation it can be your choice. With a bit of time and effort as well as assigning responsibility it can pay you dividends.

Ipex 2014: Spotlight on London

The return of Ipex to London in March 2014 is adding up to be a welcome capital gain for exhibitors and visitors alike. In this guest article by Trevor Crawford (Event Director, Ipex 2014), we get the rundown on what to expect.

2014: It’s Time for Service Providers to Embrace Change (Part 1)

The most successful firms in today’s graphic communications market have taken strong traditional printing businesses with a solid customer base and evolved into multi-channel companies that are equally focused on print and integrated offerings. This article is the first in a three-part series on the top trends of 2014 that can help you grow revenues and profitability. It focuses on the opportunities that exist for service providers of all types and sizes.

Manage Your Future: Building Your Personal Brand

How are you described by your family, friends, colleagues and your clients? It should be pretty obvious that each of has a “personal brand”; a brand that should define your unique value to those around you. The real issue is whether or not you are pleased with your brand and how you manage it.

Harland Clarke and Valassis: There’s a Real Strategy in Play

So, why would a firm that started life as a check printer and that still focuses primarily on financial institutions spend $1.8B to buy a retail coupon and advertising printer?

A Visit by the Ghost of Printing Yet to Come

Predicting the future is easy; predicting what will happen next month is almost impossible. Prediction is especially difficult in the printing industry because we adapt technologies from other disciplines.

Social Media for PSPs: Get Linked Up and LinkedIn for Business Development

The explosive proliferation of social media is the hottest topic in marketing today. For print service providers (PSPs), it brings both intrigue and confusion: “Should our business be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or Instagram? My kids are on Pinterest, Vine, Tumblr and Foursqure, so should my business be there, too? What am I supposed to do with Google+?”

New Printing Opportunities for Flexible Packaging Converters

Over the last decade digital printing has moved from a niche market to a high growth segment embraced by a large number of print service providers (PSPs) that acknowledge the added value and higher profits of digital. One of the results of the proliferation of digital technologies is a convergence of once separate activities.

Personalization Goes Mainstream

With a rapidly growing number of customers expecting their communication experiences to be tailored to their specific needs and wants, it’s more important than ever for companies to segment and personalize their marketing efforts. This article discusses how personalization tactics like data mining, audience segmentation, and predictive modeling now play a prominent role in driving e-mail marketing, content marketing, and online advertising.

Transaction Statement In-Plant Printers: A Perspective on their Needs

The number of transaction statement in-plant printers has been in decline for some time, due mainly to a decline in print volumes caused by suppression and more recently the effect of electronic bill presentment, which has become a default option for many who open a new financial or insurance account.

Is a box just a box? How packaging is impacted by the digital revolution.

Those who have been around the packaging industry can tell you that no one can predict its future. From experiments gone awry – like Jacques E. Brandenberger’s failed attempts at transparent tablecloths that ultimately resulted in the invention of cellophane in 1908.

Is Digital Printing for Corrugated Packaging; The Holy Grail or Third Rail?

My first exposure to digital printing for Corrugated Packaging occurred when I joined Inland Container. This occurred in late 2000, and Inland was in the process of developing a prototype digital press to evaluate the potential for digital printing in Packaging.

Need to Scale Your Sales? Invest in Marketing

The online world enables good online marketing to escort prospects through the sales process (know me, like me, trust me, and pay me). Online marketing is a path to scaling your sales reach.

Phoenix’s AZ Pro Uses Vehicle and Fleet Graphics to Keep on Truckin’

From so simple a beginning. Avondale, Ariz.’s AZ Pro Signs and Graphics, based just outside Phoenix, started nine years ago with a 21-inch plotter—and has seen no less than double-digit growth every year, even during the recession years.

Looking for extra Cash – check your Trash

Companies are always looking for ways to save money or reduce costs. The more you do the harder it is to find ways to improve the bottom line. Looking at your trash may not be the first area you investigate but it does offer the opportunity to reduce costs. The concept is to recycle/reuse/repurpose and reprocess all materials which had been “thrown into the dumpster”. This takes some time and effort as well as the cooperation of your employees. Done properly not only can it reduce your costs and lessen your environmental impact, it can increase your sales as well.

With Planning and Preparation, Commercial Printers Have a Growth Opportunity in Special Effects for Packaging and Labels

Commercial printers are increasingly examining the label and packaging market—and they like what they see. As digital technology lowers both the cost of entry and the learning curve for excellent execution, particularly in the area of special effects, the business benefits can be substantial.

Sizing Up Inkjet’s Paper Requirements

Sean Smyth of Digital Demand World, the publication for the digital print industry, looks at how paper grades are changing to meet inkjet requirements.

It’s Time to Think about Print to Mobile!

Technological advances have drastically changed the way people consume information. Today’s businesses must facilitate the movement between print and mobile formats to add value to communication. This article highlights how Roberts Communications is supporting consumers in the move toward mobile channels while still supporting print.

Really Great Deals! Eight Keys to Create One

Consolidation looks like the obvious play in a shrinking industry space: put two friendly competitors together, eliminate redundant / duplicative activities, pocket the savings and move along happily. Sounds simple and neat. Uh oh.

Digital Publishing Model for Magazines Gaining Steam

Recent data published by Adobe sheds light on what’s happening with digital magazine publications. Since the launch of Adobe DPS less than three years ago, more than 150 million Adobe-DPS powered digital publications have been downloaded and read on mobile devices.  (Adobe DPS has 80% market share in digital magazine publishing). And more time is being spent with publications in digital form than in print. This is a trend our readers should be watching and looking for ways to capitalize on.

Printed Books versus eBooks: Telling the Story

Ricoh commissioned an I.T. Strategies study titled The Evolution of the Book Industry: Implications for U.S. Book Manufacturers and Printers. The study looks at the impact of ebooks on printed book volumes, reader preferences for print versus electronic formats and more. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with I.T. Strategies VP Marco Boer and Ricoh’s Worldwide Manager Inkjet Technologies, Mike Herold, to learn more.

What’s next for Digital Printing for Packaging?

The potential of digital print is broadening, and packaging companies are only just beginning to realise the benefits on offer in terms of personalisation, customer engagement and integration with online campaigns.

Transforming and Automating Workflows: Getting work into the plant Part One: A Trip Down Memory Lane

In Part one of this two part article, David looks at Some history of, and some of the solution types for getting work into your plant.

Heard the Buzz about Digital Print for Packaging?

If you’re a product marketer, packaging developer or brand manager, chances are that you’ve heard about digital print. But how much do you really know about it?

Wide-Format: Understanding the Hourglass

Since the highly-successful SGIA Expo, which took place a little more than a month ago, I’ve been putting some new thought into wide-format digital printing, trying to come up with a new way to describe the industry to those who are new to it, or have simply put a toe in our wide-format pool.

One Chance to Make a Good First Impression

B2B customers are more connected than ever, and this brings increased opportunities to reach prospective buyers with relevant, targeted information when they need it. This article discusses three areas of focus for service providers that are striving to make a good first impression.

Developing the Future Leadership for the Graphic Communication Industry

Cal Poly and NYU “East Meets West” Graphic Arts Partnership Approaches 10-Year Anniversary

Getting Into Wide-Format – A Commercial Printer’s Blueprint for Success

While the commercial printing industry has seen an overall decline in demand for print over the last 15 years, the demand for wide-format printed graphics is actually increasing. As a result, more and more commercial printers are looking at adding wide-format to their offerings.

Use Technology to Change Behavior

Technology promises great potential to create leverage in our business. Leverage isn’t created in the purchase of technology; real leverage comes from how the use of the technology changes the behavior of the people who use it.

HP Boise Hosts Print Days for Media

Last month, I had the opportunity to visit HP’s Boise offices along with other members of the media. While the session focused on print solutions for small to mid-sized businesses, many of the solutions we saw have implications for commercial printers.

Why Are Traditional Print Sales People Struggling With Business Development?

Traditional print sales professionals continue to struggle with the business development process and companies of all sizes are trying to figure out their next moves. Building a next generation sales team doesn’t have to be that difficult if you design an effective work flow process.

Customized W2P: the New Ingredient for Success in M&As

Pinpointing the characteristics that make some printing companies more economically attractive than others is the short version of the mission of New Direction Partners (NDP), a consultancy specializing in mergers and acquisitions in the graphic communications industry. Some of these earmarks are classic indicators of the health of a business: cash flow, accounts receivable, EBITDA, and so on. Others, however, stem from emerging trends that NDP monitors as M&A influencers for the industry as a whole.

Big Changes at Printing Industries of America

Last week, with no public announcement, the Printing Industries of America dismissed 15 employees with little or no notice, according to sources. Some had over 30 years of service to GATF, with whom PIA merged in the late 1990s.

Elli Cloots: Adding Value to Marketing at EFI

Elli Cloots, formerly Director of Product Marketing at Enfocus, recently joined EFI as Senior Product Marketing Manager in EPS, the company’s software group. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with her about her new role and the importance of workflow and automation in the graphic arts industry.

Evaluating Performance of Today’s Digital Plate Technology

Industries worldwide are moving rapidly toward “green” operations, seeking to reduce environmental emissions, hazardous materials and waste streams, while at the same time striving to conserve energy and materials. In line with this trend, printing industry leaders have focused on improving the environmental aspects of their supply chain and operations to reduce waste and improve efficiency.

The Lean Startup: Lessons for a Print Service Provider

In today’s printing industry, uncertainty is the rule rather than the exception. Citing Eric Ries’ New York Times Bestseller entitled The Lean Startup, this article explores how print service providers can leverage the advice in this book.

Interstate Graphics Feels the Heat with New Thermoforming System

At the SGIA Expo in Orlando several weeks ago, EFI garnered a Product of the Year award for its GS Pro-TF thermoforming system. Interstate Graphics Inc. (IGI), based in Machesney Park, Ill.—just outside Rockford—was the first company to install the GS Pro-TF.

On-pack Traceability Points to Digital Print Future

Sean Smyth of Digital Demand World looks at digital print’s growing role in pack traceability.

Graphics Canada Marks Its 50th Anniversary By Looking to the Future of Print

Graphics Canada is held every two years and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To mark this milestone, says Dan Mustata, show manager for Graphics Canada, “we’ve brought together more features, more conferences, and more colocated events than ever.”

Digital Package Printing – The Value Proposition for the Brand Owner

With all the news chatter around digital printing for packaging coming out of Print 13 and Label Expo this fall I thought it appropriate to bring the readership some insights we have on the topic.

Transforming and Automating Workflows: Web to Print or getting work into the plant

David looks at how you get the work from your customer into your plant. What does web to print mean to you; and is it the answer to getting work into your plant, or are there multiple answers?

John Roberts Looks to HP Indigo 10000 to bolster digital print offerings

Minneapolis-based John Roberts has installed the first 7-color HP Indigo 10000 digital press in North America. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with CEO Michael Keene to delve into why the company made this decision and what they expect to achieve going forward.

A Focused Approach: The Key to Success for MSP Digital

Embracing a vertical market approach offers a number of benefits to the marketing and operations sides of a business. This article outlines the benefits of vertical marketing and explores how MSP Digital is profiting from this approach.

Strategic Content Imaging Uses Automation and Production Inkjet to Live Up to Its Name

It’s less about belts and gears and more about software,” says Ron Diaz, press operator at Secaucus, N.J.’s Strategic Content Imaging (SCI), summing up what he sees as one of the primary differences between digital production inkjet and traditional offset printing. “We have to move four gigabytes of data in a very short period of time.

Web-to-Print Technology: Enabling Speed and Collaboration for Printers and Customers

Web-to-Print is a concept that has grown rapidly, right along with the internet and e-commerce in general, and represents an efficient and effective way for printers to interact with customers and partners as they plan and execute print jobs. From submission, to online prepress previews and reviews, all the way to production, web-to-print enables customers and printers to use a variety of tools and rich user interfaces to produce impressive results.

First Customer-Sited Demo Facility for Kodak Is a North Carolina Printing Company More than Worthy of the Distinction

When Walter Payne entered the printing business from another career, he knew he’d want to do more than printing. Today, his company is so multi-functional that Kodak is using part of the plant as a demo facility for some of its most advanced digital production technologies.

SGIA Expo 2013 Review: Continuing Strong Display Graphics Demand, with a Focus on Production

The SGIA show held in Orlando this year gave evidence of continuing strong demand for inkjet printed display graphics, and increasingly also for production inkjet textile print and decorative output.

Making a Difference with QR Codes

A recent Scanbuy report indicates that mobile barcode marketing continues to attract a global crowd of consumers as well as leading brands. This article provides key takeaways from Scanbuy’s study and discusses the ways in which QR codes are being used to make a difference.

SGIA Wraps Up Successful Orlando Expo

At the beginning of day one of the SGIA Expo, SGIA President Michael Robertson had announced a pre-registered attendee count of around 21,000. By Friday morning, the third and final day of the Expo, the count had topped 22,400.

What Goes Up Must Come Down…In Weight

Postal rates in the United States are going up again. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that wherever you are, they have done the same or will in the near future. That is a bigger deal for some than for others. For those in the direct mail business, for companies that mail transactional statements, and for print providers that serve those industries, it is a really big deal.

Bill Lowe, Father of the IBM PC, Dies at Age 72

William C. Lowe, who supervised the creation of IBM’s first personal computer and went on to hold executive roles at Xerox, NEBS, Moore and Gulfstream, passed away on October 19th. He was 72.

What Will RRD Acquisition Mean for CGX Businesses?

The announcement of the intent on the part of RR Donnelley to acquire Consolidated Graphics sent a few shock waves through the industry. What will it mean for the 70+ CGX locations and its more than 5,000 employees?

Interview with Benny Landa about the Announcement of Komori as a Strategic Partner

Last Friday, Landa announced a strategic relationship with Komori for the manufacture of the transport systems for all of Landa’s sheetfed systems, the first being the S10FC. Kevin spoke with Benny to get a bit more information on this topic.

Screen USA Hosts Media Day to Showcase Digital Printing Advances

I recently joined about 30 of my press and analyst colleagues at a media event held at Screen USA headquarters in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Parent company Dainippon Screen celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Screen USA used the event as an opportunity to bring the press and analyst community up to date on its latest product offerings with a peek into its strategic future. Is there a new trend here among Japanese companies in our industry?

Where is Digital headed for Folding Cartons?

Eighteen months is a long time in the world of politics, consumer electronics, the growth of an infant and the gain or decline of a 401K but in the development of digital printing solutions for folding cartons that time is not so long at all.

New Revenue Streams for Newspapers

Newspapers and the companies that publish them are facing a fundamental business transformation. The ways people choose to get their news have changed a lot in the last four centuries, so publishers have had to adapt to those changes and embrace new opportunities in news delivery to uncover different opportunities for revenue sources.

The Cross-Media Beat Goes On

Seismic shifts have left marketing executives in a very different landscape from what they faced just a few years ago. Savvy print service providers must assess how they can fit in the continuum of today’s more lucrative marketing value chain.

RRD & CGX — The Strategy Behind the Buzz

Over the last few days, I've been asked more than a dozen times for my take on RR Donnelley’s pending acquisition of Consolidated Graphics (CGX). Frankly, I have been surprised by the number of people who found the announcement puzzling. And most of the speculation has suggested that it’s purely a defensive move on RRD’s part in the face of declining industry sales volume.

Print MIS System Transition: A Challenge and a Great Opportunity

Transitioning your Print MIS system is a mission-critical project and also a great opportunity to re-think your business operations and optimize the functionality of the new system.

Dainippon Screen Joins the Push for What It Sees as the Irresistible Rise of Inkjet

Dainippon Screen wants to be a major part of the conversation about the rise of inkjet and the fall of old assumptions about print production. But, as inkjet comes to the fore, the conversation could get uncomfortably blunt for some.

Soft Signage: Ready for the Mainstream?

Digital textile printing began in earnest in the 1990s, but technology, market, and supply chain challenges have kept it from going truly mainstream. However, all of these challenges—technology, market, and even supply chain—are gradually being overcome, and digital textile printing.

Social Media: Content Counts!

Companies of all types are increasing their budgets for blogs, whitepapers, videos, Webinars, and other types of content marketing campaigns. This article examines how service providers are using social media across a number of platforms to effectively share content and differentiate their businesses in the eyes of their customers.

SGIA Highlights the "Shining Star" of the Printing Industry—Day 1: The Quickening

Day 1 of SGIA and WhatTheyThink is on the ground in Orlando and Richard Romano has you covered with the latest from the show as we kick off what is said to be near record crowds.

Getting the Most from Your Press Rollers

Rollers are intended to last a long time. Proper care and maintenance will insure good print quality and reduced costs. This article talks about some of the factors that affect roller life.

BoSacks Speaks Out: A Review of PRIMEX NYC

In Esquire's October issue, I read a quote from Arthur Miller that reminded me of the publishing industry in general, and of my experience at PRIMEX last week. "Fear, like love, is difficult to explain after it has subsided, probably because it draws away the veils of illusion as it disappears."

Transforming and Automating Workflows: Marketing Campaign Automation

David looks at Marketing Campaign process automation. This is a new and interesting area that can help support a Print Service Provider transformation into a Marketing Services Provider business model, and potentially integrate into an automated print production workflow.

Social Media: Building Relationships

Social networks, communities, blogs, forums, and friends/followers are useful from a brand-building and marketing perspective. This article explores some of the ways that print service providers are building out their business-to-business social strategies.

The Role of Print in an Omni-channel World

Patrick Martell, CEO of St Ives Group and the new President of Ipex 2014, looks at print and the important role it will continue to play in the world of marketing in an omni-channel environment

How Would You Sell Against Yourself in Your Largest Client?

When I interview print sales representatives and ask them why their customers do business with them, they almost always say because we have a great relationship, our service is great, and our people are great. Relationship selling is a very common way to sell.

RICG Makes a Good B2B Web Presence a Reality

New York City-based RICG recently rebuilt its Website, and the company is clearly optimized to appeal to B2B marketing executives. This article covers the key areas that RICG addressed during its quest to make a good B2B Web presence a reality.

Digital Textile Inkjet Printing: On a Roll

Digital inkjet printing technology offers many advantages for soft signage and other types of textile printing—but the old supply chain is making further adoption difficult.