Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

Employment Report Stays Mixed

Published April 7, 2014

Did You Wish the iPad a Happy Fourth Birthday?

Published April 7, 2014

Employment Changes in the Printing and Content Creation Industries

Published April 7, 2014

February Printing Shipments Down, and Not Just Because It's a Short Month

Published April 3, 2014

Recovery Indicators Still Sideways, but Improve in Last Month

Published April 3, 2014

Preferences and Actions are Vastly Different; The ROI of Print

Published March 24, 2014

Dr. Joe Webb on "Unsquaring the Wheel"

Published March 18, 2014

Dr. Joe Webb talks to Cary Sherburne about "Unsquaring the Wheel", a new venture with RIT that aims to help companies assess their business in 3 main areas: Platform, Customers, and Resources.

Organic Growth is Essential for Healthy Printing Businesses

Published March 17, 2014

Ad Agency Revenues On Steady Rise Higher

Published March 16, 2014

Ad Agency Revenues On Steady Rise Higher

Published March 16, 2014

Since the second quarter of 2007, the first quarter for which we can create four-quarter inflation-adjusted moving totals, ad agency revenues are up more than 13%. Publishing industries have note fared well at all.

Unemployment Report "Little Changed," Media Shift Continues to Reshape Markets

Published March 7, 2014

January 2014 US Printing Shipments Down; Final Shipments Data for 2013

Published March 6, 2014

US Commercial Printing Industry Demographics, 2011 to 2018

Published March 6, 2014

In recent weeks, readers have asked for industry demographics and some prognostication about them. The data tables are below. But first, some information about the data and where they come from. Get a strong coffee.

Recovery Indicators Perk Up, But Two are Still Below Recession Levels

Published March 5, 2014

Q4-2013 GDP Revised Down from +3.2% to +2.4%, Consistent with Last Month's Analysis

Published February 28, 2014

Does Being a “Marketing Services Provider” Make a Difference? In 2013 it Did, but Not for Everyone

Published February 26, 2014

Many printers have started promoting themselves as “marketing service providers” (MSPs), almost to the point that the terms “printer” and MSP are synonymous.

How Survivorship and Merger Activities Affect Industry Survey Results and Statistics

Published February 20, 2014

Ad Agency Employment Surpasses Commercial Printing Employment

Published February 7, 2014

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

Published February 7, 2014

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.

Five of Six Recovery Indicators Retreat; Two Fall Below December 2007 Recession Levels

Published February 6, 2014

2013 US Commercial Printing Shipments Reach $77.6 Billion

Published February 4, 2014

2013 US Commercial Printing Shipments Reach $77.6 Billion

Published February 4, 2014

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

Published February 4, 2014

GDP Shows Sluggish Economy; Inventory Build-up Continues; Small Business Retreats

Published January 30, 2014

Latest Inflation Multipliers: Print is Getting Cheaper Every Day. Really?

Published January 22, 2014

The USPS Sneaks a Rate Increase on Christmas Eve; Media Irrelevance Must be Their Objective

Published January 14, 2014

Printing Employment Declines, Public Relations Employment Grows: A Changing Media Mix Ripples Through the Marketplace

Published January 14, 2014

Recovery Indicators Take a Step Back

Published January 14, 2014

Inflation-adjusted Annualized US Publishing & Advertising Agency Revenues

Published January 14, 2014

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.

Commerce Department Reports November 2013 Commercial Printing Shipments Down -5.6% Compared to 2012

Published January 6, 2014

Recovery Indicators Okay, Revised Q3 GDP Not as Strong as It Looks

Published December 6, 2013

October's Printing Shipments Reflect Ongoing Digital Media Shift

Published December 6, 2013

Dr. Joe Webb & Richard Romano Introduce Their New Book, But It's Not About Print

Published December 5, 2013

Were Data Fabricated in Unemployment Reports?

Published November 20, 2013

Are Stocks at All-Time Highs? Not After Adjusting for Inflation, but the Dow is Getting Really Close

Published November 14, 2013

Recovery Indicators Rebound from Prior Report; GDP Grows, but Inventory Drives It

Published November 8, 2013

Dr. Joe Recalculates the Unemployment Rate: It Improves to 7.1%, but Problems Remain; Printing Employment Holds Its Own, Unless You're a Supervisor

Published November 8, 2013

August and September Commercial Printing Shipments Take a Tumble

Published November 6, 2013

Employment Improves... Or Does It?

Published October 22, 2013

Recovery Indicators Retreat from Their Prior Month Surge

Published October 7, 2013

Dr. Joe Discusses the Statistics Behind USPS Pricing and Commercial Printing Volume

Published October 7, 2013

The Counterproductive Nature of the USPS Pricing Strategy

Published October 1, 2013

Dr. Joe on the Counterproductive Nature of the USPS Pricing Strategy

Profits Data Show Resilience of Leading Firms in Tough Economic Times

Published September 24, 2013

Dr. Joe Presentations at Print13 Breakfast and Global Channel Partners Summit

Published September 16, 2013

July Commercial Printing Shipments Disappoint at -2.5%; June Shipments Data Revised Sharply Downward

Published September 6, 2013

Two Recovery Indicators Turn Mildly Negative, Others In Strong Rise

Published September 6, 2013

Vogue's Print Ad Rise Has Very Little to Do with Print, Lots to Do with Branding, Research, and Competitive Action

Published August 26, 2013

US Commercial Printing Shipments per Employee in Sideways Trend: The Rest is Not So Obvious

Published August 14, 2013

Recovery Indicators Have a Good Month; Are Stocks at All-Time Highs? (Revisited)

Published August 5, 2013

June 2013 US Commercial Printing Shipments Down -1.6%; First Half of 2103 Down -1.5%

Published August 4, 2013

GDP Still Short of Normal Recovery; Revisions Make Recession "Less Bad"

Published August 1, 2013

Ten Years of Commercial Printing Process Shifts

Published July 24, 2013

Inflation Multipliers for the First Half of 2013

Published July 17, 2013

Statistical Trends in Print, or, Dr. Joe's Mixed Media Message

Published July 16, 2013

May Commercial Printing Shipments Disappoint; Public Relations and Graphic Designer Employment Rises

Published July 9, 2013

The Claimed Explosion in Part Time Workers: Sorry, There's No "There" There

Published July 9, 2013

Five Recovery Indicators Improve, One Plummets; Economic Side-step Continues

Published July 3, 2013

Q1 GDP Revised Down Again -- What's Next?

Published June 27, 2013

Printing Profits Still Struggling, but Rebound from Q4-2012

Published June 21, 2013

Friday's Employment Data: All This Dynamic Inertia and No Place to Go

Published June 9, 2013

April Printing Shipments Rise +$49 Million; January to April Shipments Down -0.6%

Published June 6, 2013

Recovery Indicators Still a Mixed Bag, but the Bag May Have a Leak

Published June 6, 2013

Did You Choose Your Market Niche or Did You Get It by Default?

Published May 30, 2013

US Commerce Department Revises Last Two Years of Printing Shipments Up Slightly

Published May 23, 2013

Latest Commercial Printing Demographics Show 1,200 Fewer Establishments

Published May 15, 2013

Q1 2013 US Commercial Printing Shipments Nearly Flat with 2012; March Shipments Down

Published May 3, 2013

The Mixed Economics Bag Gets a Mild Shake

Published May 3, 2013

Terry Nagi, Consultant, and Former PIA Executive, Passes Away

Published April 29, 2013

GDP Report Shows Struggling Economy; Should You Use GDP as a Benchmark?

Published April 29, 2013

Apple's Horrible Financial Report: Profits Only 21.9% of Sales, iPads Disappoint at +65%

Published April 25, 2013

Are You as Weary of “We Print the Marketing Materials of Others, but are not Marketers Ourselves” as Much as I Am?

Published April 17, 2013

Is the Economic Situation Starting to Crack Again?

Published April 10, 2013

February US Commercial Printing Shipments Disappoint, but January Shipments Revised Higher

Published April 3, 2013

Stop Hiring Yourself if You Want to Change Sales Strategy

Published March 27, 2013

Print Businesses in Transition Need Content Partners; Freelance Practitioners May Hold the Key to New Services

Published March 21, 2013

January 2013 US commercial printing shipments up +2.4% compared to 2012

Published March 14, 2013

All Recovery Indicators Positive for Second Month; Stocks are NOT at All-Time Highs

Published March 5, 2013

Long-Term Capital Equipment Patterns Reflect Change in Industry Sales Mix, Economic Shocks, and Competition

Published February 27, 2013

Dr. Joe on Underlying Trends Playing Out in the Industry

Published February 22, 2013

Dr. Joe Webb discusses high level trends playing out in the industry and the implications for the future.

Magazine Circulation Illustrates Risks of Niche Strategies for Printers

Published February 20, 2013

December 2012 US Commercial Printing Shipments Decrease -$224 million; Full-year Shipments Down -$1.47 Billion

Published February 13, 2013

All Recovery Indicators are Now Positive

Published February 6, 2013

It's Claimed Stocks are Making All-time Highs... Not Really...

Published January 31, 2013

Real GDP -0.1% in Q4-2012; But the Report Has Curious Contradictions

Published January 30, 2013

Updated Inflation Indicators: Are You Looking at the Right Trends in Your Business?

Published January 23, 2013

November US Commercial Printing Shipments Down -1.3%; Dr. Webb Issues 2013 Economic Forecast

Published January 15, 2013

Recovery Indicators Mixed, Economy Still Shuffling Sideways

Published January 14, 2013

October US Commercial Printing Shipments Increase, and Balance Much of September's Decline; Q3 Profits Rise; Details in New Report

Published December 13, 2012

Business Development: Riding the New Sales Cycle

Published December 10, 2012

Last time, Dr. Joe explained why business development is rising as a critical function in print organizations. The nature of selling is changing just as the nature of print in the communications mix is changing. And no, cold-calling has nothing to do with Winter temperatures.

Recovery Indicators Still Show Flat Economy; Printing Shipments Have a Positive October

Published December 6, 2012

Business Development Is Not a Sales Lead Qualification Process

Published November 26, 2012

In Part One of this two-part column, Dr. Joe explains how the changing dynamics in the printing industry are dynamically changing the sales process. It used to be that a sales call didn't need to start with explaining print-everyone already knew what it was, and the needed it. Not so much today…successful businesses are increasingly turning to business development practices. This is much more than sales lead generation and that will be the topic of Part Two.

The Election: Can Everyone Finally Stop Whining About "Uncertainty"?

Published November 12, 2012

There was no uncertainty about the election results, but there was plenty of whining about "uncertainty" for months and months prior to the election. Now that the election is over, is there really any less "uncertainty"? Why do executives get the big bucks? To make decisions when there's uncertainty, real uncertainty. Dr. Joe explains what's uncertain and what's not... at least we think he does. Guess you'll have to read it to be sure.

US Commercial Printing Shipments Decline -3.2% in September

Published November 6, 2012

Recovery Indicators Retreat; Economic Indicators Still Moving Sideways

Published November 5, 2012

Sandy Is Good for Economic Growth? Only if You Don't Know the "Broken Window Fallacy"

Published October 31, 2012

Thoughts About Last Week's “Next Wave: Get Ready” Column, and Some Apple Comments

Published October 29, 2012

Next Wave: Get Ready

Published October 22, 2012

You know you should worry when Dr. Joe uses phrases like "simultaneous critical mass." Then we find out that he thinks that data talks to him. His frugal ways are evident as he delights in the prospect of free broadband. Then there are boats and planes, too. It might be worth reading to make sure the next wave of innovation to hit the market is not one that means "goodbye" for your business.

Media and Elections

Published October 15, 2012

Dr. Joe is focused on denial but not in a myopic way. That may make sense once you dig into the column. Or like a lot of his columns, it may drive you to muttering all day. CNN claims that the USPS is being bailed out by election spending. That is, if you believe a decrease is an increase. And much more…