NEW YORK -- November 6, 2003 -- TrendWatch Graphic Arts today released a special report, which analyzes data collected over the last eiight years in the creative market space, specifically focused on graphic designers, ad agencies, corporate design departments and commercial photographers. According to the report, there are several upward indicators that point to increasing sales opportunities for creative professionals, including consistent rising demand for direct mail, digital printing, digital photography, cross-media, and even videography projects. The report, called "Creative Market: Canaries in the Mine Shaft" is a 160-page analysis of dramatic trends in the creative segments of the graphic arts industry since 1995, when TWGA first started collecting data. The new report contains data on hundreds of critical industry issues examined over eight years, including technological, economical and business concerns related to creative professionals. Utilizing this data, TWGA projects the near-term market activities the industry can expect from these segments. The data is presented in easy-to-read statistical charts illustrating dramatic trends and business shifts over the eight-year period. The report is available for online purchase at the TWGA eStore in PDF format. Researcher's Quote... "With over eight years of data, you can step back and get a birds eye view of a transitioning market, and see obvious and unmistakable trends," notes Vince Naselli, Director, TrendWatch Graphic Arts. "One trend that really becomes apparent: creative professionals stand to gain from of the media mix explosion currently underway. The creatives' perspective on their economic conditions had taken a sharp downturn in the last seven surveys, as expected, corresponding with the downturn in the U.S. economy and the changing media landscape. The good news is that in more recent surveys, the creative outlook has been steadily improving. In the short term, we expect this to continue through a rise in print buying and an ever expanding mix of media options, although we expect budgets to remain somewhat tight through Q1 2004." According to the Report... Based upon analyzing the data since 1995, the following trends become apparent: -- DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY UP: Interest in digital photography as a sales opportunity has been on a steady and consistent rise frrom Q4 1997 to the present (from 13% to 39%). -- PRINT UP: Over the eight years of research, collateral print has grown from 42% in Q2 1996 to 62% as a sales opportunity tto creative professionals; -- INTERNET DOWN: As a sales opportunity for creative professionals, "Internet Web pages" has dropped from a high of 54% (Q2 2000) to 38% today, while "Internet site strategy for clients" has dropped from 21% in Q2 1999 to just 14%; -- CROSS MEDIA THE REASON: And why is print up and Internet down?Ö because Creatives recognize the shifting media mix from siingle-source media to a strategic and targeted use of multiple media, which is why cross media as a sales opportunity has grown from 29% in Q4 1999 to 46% today; About the Report... This report charts eight years of surveys, creating long-term, historical trend lines on the most industry-critical business issues: -- PLANNED INVESTMENTS: Understanding what industry consumers plan to purchase allows product managers to be more confident iin their product and manufacturing budgets. -- BUSINESS CONDITIONS: Which groups tend to be more optimistic and which are pessimistic in their outlook (optimistic compannies tend to buy more equipment); -- SALES OPPORTUNITIES: Trend lines indicate where product and service offerings are on the rose, fell, spiked or dipped whicch makes where they're headed easier to predict; -- BUSINESS CHALLENGES: Trends lines indicate where the pressure points are on creatives' businesses and how they have changeed over the years (companies tend to invest in areas where their businesses feel the hurt). Methodology... This report is based on the TWGA Design & Production historical database, which contains data from all 15 surveys of design and creative professionals conducted by TWGA over the last eight years. Charts for each individual question are derived from trend lines from the historical database's data points which have been generated from over 2,500 questionnaires for each of the 15 surveys. Availability... The TrendWatch Graphic Arts "Creative Market: Canaries in the Mine Shaft" report is available for purchase by visiting the secure TrendWatch Graphic Arts eStore online at www.trendwatchgraphicarts.com or by phone at 866-873-6310. The price for the report is $1595. TrendWatch Graphic Arts eStore customers can download this report in PDF Acrobat format immediately after purchase.