PPG LEVERAGES HP TECHNOLOGY

Precision Proco Group (PPG) has announced a new business in publishing, which helps social media influencers bring their celebrated content to life through print. The new venture, Found. us, based on HP’s print on demand capabilities, has published close to 80,000 customised books to date, offering digital content creators an opportunity to monetise their personal content and brand.

HP vision and technology enables PSPs to cultivate new opportunities by integrating creativity and net new business ideas into their value propositions. Collaboration with PPG was born out of an incubation project started in 2021 to conjoin the power of social media with digital print. The customised books developed by the Found.us application reflect current trends in printing that demand high quality results with short runs and fast turnaround times.

“By creating an end to end publishing experience, our technology enables these amazing rockstar content owners to enjoy a greater share of the book revenues, compared to traditional publishing where the author receives only a fraction of the proceeds,” said Nigel Watson, New Business Incubation Director at Found.us. “Personalised books with variable content can be produced quickly and delivered directly to their audiences. We are bringing online ideas to life and connecting the digital and physical worlds.”

The new content business is currently focusing on food influencers converting their content from the social networks of Instagram or TikTok into published cookbooks — but its forecast goes way beyond the kitchen. The Found.us proof of concept has already generated $1m in six months, therefore Found.us expects to expand thematically, geographically and grow substantially every year. Publicity is further boosted by fans posting selfies upon receiving their books, then writing reviews, and all the while sharing their excitement with their social media networks.

“The idea is to wed the traditional and respected book publishing business with the rapidly growing creator economy that is burgeoning at the seams with content — easy to create and consume — and with eager audiences,” said Jon Bailey, COO, Precision Proco Group.“This is a disruptive business model, which includes interactive qualities with QR codes that can be scanned to redirect fans to social media or expose them to hidden notes.”

The venture’s cookbook star to date is Kimmy’s Kreations, an up and coming food blogger from Virginia, USA, who sold 7000 books in her first four months. “Publishing a cookbook was always a dream of mine, but it seemed too far out of reach,” said Kimmy, who boasts 4.4 million followers between Instagram and TikTok. “Found.us made this dream come true. I provided the content and Found.us did the rest. My book went live in less than two months, and I sold over 1,000 copies the first day. My following has since doubled, and my next book is coming soon.”

“Companies that want to create meaningful touch points for consumers to engage with their brand are adopting digital print because it inspires creative excellence and enables consumers to be part of the story,” said Haim Levit, Senior VP and General Manager of HP Industrial Print. “The Precision Proco Group’s new business model captures the value in co-creation and is enabling individuals to monetise their branded content and increase the engagement of their audience. We are excited to watch the growth and success of this venture.”

For further information visit www.precisionprocogroup.co.uk