LEXINGTON, KY -- WhatTheyThink, the leading news and information source for the graphic communications industry, announces the immediate availability of its new Quarterly Business Conditions Report—October 2009: The WhatTheyThink Economic and Research Center’s Overview of the Current Economic State of the Industry. This 70-page report provides the results of the Economics and Research Center’s September 2009 survey of print business owners, and compares these results to past quarterly surveys to provide an accurate gauge of how print businesses professionals perceive the economic landscape, how those perceptions are changing, and what actions they are likely to take in response to challenging economic times. In addition to our own survey results, we also provide the most current data available on printing industry shipments and profits.

To put the printing industry data in context, we also provide a multitude of other economic data, such as GDP, unemployment, inflation, consumer confidence, and more, as well as our own commentary on what trends in these data tell us about prevailing economic conditions—and the market for print. The report also includes the ERC’s own hand-picked set of economic indicators that we feel will provide a “recovery roadmap” to let us know when the economy is on the upswing. What can industry businesspeople look forward to in Q4 and beyond?

The Quarterly Business Conditions Report also looks at other trends affecting the industry, provides a handful of suggested “action items” that proactive printing companies and individuals can take to help combat tough economic times, and offers a feature called “Dark Clouds and Silver Linings,” a list of both immediate threats to the industry as well as opportunities for industry businesspeople.

Some of the topics covered in this report include:

• How commercial printers’ business conditions for 2009 have compared to those of 2008.
• How commercial printers expect business for 2010 to compare to business in 2009.
• What “action items” printers are taking—or should take—to combat the economic downturn.
• What is the latest adoption rate of digital printing technology?
• Are printers active in social media?
• What the short- and long-term effects of the recession will be on the printing industry.
• What other cultural, technological, and media trends are affecting the industry and the market for print?

According to the report:

• 52% of respondents to the ERC’s September 2009 survey said that business decreased more than 10%, up from the 48% that said this in our June survey.
• 14% of September respondents said that business increased compared to 2008, down from 17% in June.
• On the other hand, hope springs eternal: 74% of September survey respondents said they expect 2010 revenues to increase compared to 2009 revenues—back in June, 70% of respondents expected 2009 revenues to decrease compared to 2008.
• 43% of respondents said they are not at all active in social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or even basic blogging

The Quarterly Business Conditions Report also provides WhatTheyThink’s outlook, conclusions, and recommendations.

Quarterly Business Conditions Report—October 2009: The WhatTheyThink Economic and Research Center’s Overview of the Current Economic State of the Industry is available for online purchase at the WhatTheyThink Store.

Researcher’s Comments

“To paraphrase Mark Twain, one tweet can make it halfway around the world while print is still putting its boots on. Social media is quickly becoming a (if not the) chief way that marketers and general users communicate. Say what you will about Twitter, but it’s now a major force to be reckoned with in the dissemination of messages, be they marketing or otherwise. And all this stuff is going mobile, too. These trends are not just footnotes to the overall economic landscape; they are the direction that communication is moving. The lousy economy is only hastening these media shifts. Printers need to understand this and see how they can be players in these new spaces.”

Editor’s Note

Additional information pertaining to each report is available for editorial purposes. Please make inquiries directly to Cary Sherburne at 603-430-5463 or [email protected],  or visit www.whattheythink.com).

Purchase The Quarterly Business Conditions Report

About WhatTheyThink

WhatTheyThink is the printing and publishing industry's leading media organization; offering a wide range of publications delivering unbiased, real-time market intelligence, industry news, economic and trend analysis, peer-to-peer communication, and special reports on emerging technology and critical events. WhatTheyThink also hosts webinars and live events that are timely and relevant o today's busy industry executives along with consulting and speaker services that leverage a talented pool of writers and industry analysts.

WhatTheyThink consists of flagship site WhatTheyThink.com, discussion forum site PrintPlanet.com, and industry blog PrintCEO.com.