Volume 4 Issue 2 Spring 2022
f RECIPE SUCCESS Ingredients for communicating print’s value
Rising above adversity
Tackling today’s industry issues
New business opportunities for printers
IN THIS ISSUE
10
Spring 2022 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2
print illustrated
Spring 2022
Baked in
A LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
It has been said that cooking, in general, is an “art” because we are free to alter the measurements of ingredients, depending on our personal taste. Some of us might want a bit more salt in our meal or an extra dash of sugar in our dessert. The idea is that we are able to adjust the recipe to our personal preference.
mixing the elements of art and science. While the new environment we find ourselves in forces us all to experiment with new ingredients and ideas, there are still many people shackled to long-cherished processes. A blended approach and willingness to try a different way may just shed light on what is possible.
Baking, on the other hand, is similar to “science.” It typically requires a precise measurement of the ingredients to achieve the ideal results. For instance, if a recipe calls for two cups of flour, eyeballing the measurements does not always produce desirable results. That is why the instructions are on the box.
Perhaps on paper that doesn’t seem like too difficult a task, but in reality embracing the art of trial and error takes time, patience and high levels of trust in your partners. Our ambition at Fujifilm is to listen, try new things and assist you in cooking up great results.
At Fujifilm, we believe that our innovative offerings will always be the result of understanding your tastes and mixing the elements of art and science. Today’s business climate requires a bit more art in order to cook up the positive results we crave. While there has been a highly controlled scientific nature of how business has been done in recent years, the landscape has changed so much that we will need to adjust our ingredients in order to properly deliver what our respective communities want. At Fujifilm, we believe that our innovative offerings will always be the result of understanding your tastes and
PRESS Komori GL 840 PLATES Fujifilm SUPERIA LH-PL thermal plates SCREENING Fujifilm 175 line Co-Res Screening
We have prepared a great new issue of print illustrated for you. Our cover story, “Recipe for Success,” shares some new ingredients in communicating the value of print. We believe, as you do, that print connects deeply in a world dominated by digital noise. You could say that rather than being a vehicle for communication, physical print becomes part of the message. It connects with them tangibly and provides the kind of up-front value that makes people feel wanted. In other words, communication success is baked right in. Enjoy the issue! All the best, Mark Friedman Vice President of Marketing, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division
INKS/COATING Outside cover prints 4/c process HUV ink plus overall Gloss Aqueous Coating. Inside cover and body prints 4/c process HUV ink plus overall Satin Aqueous Coating.
IN THIS ISSUE
01
BAKED IN A letter from the publisher
02
INK SPOTS
04
GOING ALL DIGITAL
Tactics, stats, and trends that matter
FUJIFILM J Press 750S helps Fotorecord Print & Marketing Center offload its offset mindset
06 10
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Ingredients for communicating print’s value
PRESSURE COOKER How print providers rise above adversity
14
HEAD ON
16
UNDER THE HOOD
Tackling today’s print industry issues
A look inside the print market
print illustrated is published quarterly by FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division Copyright 2022 All rights reserved Managing Editor Gregory Pas, FUJIFILM Creative and Editorial Direction Conduit, Inc. conduit-inc.com
Spring 2022
print illustrated
1
INK SPOTS
Tactics, stats and trends that matter
LOOKING AHEAD
NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRINTERS
2
As the world recovers from all things COVID, printers are eagerly looking for new ways to grow their businesses. WhatTheyThink’s “Fall 2021 Business Outlook” survey found that for the second year in a row, “improving economic conditions” is again the top opportunity, but down from 50% last year. “Adding digital printing equipment” is also at a higher-than-usual level in this survey. The following are what printers say are their best new business opportunities for 2022:
40%
37%
33%
19%
Improving economic conditions
Customers outsourcing more work to us
National recovery from COVID-19
Helping customers integrate print and non-print marketing
19%
18%
18%
18%
Hiring new salespeople
Partnering with other print providers
Customized, personalized, or variable-data printing jobs
Adding digital printing equipment
print illustrated
Spring 2022
Successful leaders manage from the outside in, not from the inside out. What do your suppliers say about you? What do your customers say about you? You need to go live outside the organization.” – Alexander ‘Sandy’ Cutler, former Chairman & CEO of Eaton Corporation
TOP TIER 5 EXPERIENCES REQUIRED FOR CUSTOMER LOYALTY
PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE (FULL REFUND)
PRODUCT AVAILABILITY SHOWN ONLINE
Do you have what it takes to keep your customers happy? Like it or not, the majority of B2B customers say they will look for another supplier if certain experiences are not met, according to McKinsey & Company’s global “B2B Pulse” survey in December 2021. Take a look at the top five must-dos, and keep in mind that customers who want any one of these options are 80% to 90% likely to want the other four.
ABILITY TO PURCHASE FROM ANY CHANNEL
REAL-TIME CUSTOMER SERVICE
CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE ACROSS CHANNELS
78% 74% 72% 72% 72%
Spring 2022
print illustrated
3
GOING ALL DIGITAL
FUJIFILM J PRESS 750S HELPS FOTORECORD PRINT & MARKETING CENTER OFFLOAD ITS OFFSET MINDSET
Paul Nickoloff, owner, Fotorecord Print, alongside the J Press 750S in the Greenburg, Pennsylvania facility.
When Fotorecord Print & Marketing Center first considered investing in a larger offset press, Paul Nickoloff was looking for one that could compete with the growing offset business in the Pittsburgh area. But as the owner of the Greensburg, Pennsylvania, commercial printing and direct mail company soon discovered, there was a growing industry shift toward digital printing. 4
print illustrated
Spring 2022
Offset printers are now sending us work that they can’t complete as quickly or efficiently as Fotorecord can through the use of our new J Press.” – Paul Nickoloff, Owner, Fotorecord Print & Marketing Center
His research had uncovered several important revelations surrounding the offset versus digital debate. Digital print options offered larger sheet sizes, inkjet color consistency, the ability to use more substrates and heavier weights for printing, as well as the ability to easily print variable data pieces. Nickoloff was sold. The next step was finding a digital press that could do what Fotorecord needed to compete in the marketplace. Nickoloff and his team’s research eventually led them to the FUJIFILM J Press 750S. Full disclosure, their investment in the J Press was considered carefully. The process included a detailed cost analysis, a thoughtful review of ROI scenarios, and even outsourcing some work to other digital printing companies to gain market knowledge and examine the finished product. It also would have to sell the offset press they used that printed a 14-inch x 20-inch sheet size. “We certainly did our homework in making this decision,” Nickoloff says. “When crunching all the numbers and projecting the return on investment, as well as the amount of new business we could gain, the decision became clear to invest in going all-digital with the J Press. We went long and wide with ROI discussion multiple times to prove the economics worked.” The J Press 750S is the industry’s fastest sheet-fed digital inkjet press, featuring output speeds of 3,600 B2 sheets per hour (sph). The third generation press features a larger sheet size of 23 inches x 29.5 inches and doubles the output of letter size documents over the previous generations. The larger sheet size was one of the key selling points for the Fotorecord team, which they knew would give them more penetration into the competitive Pittsburgh market. With no make-ready needed, more up on a
sheet and better margins, there were greater markets to go after. “Our samples were better; our sheet size was better; and our service offering was better,” Nickoloff says. “The demo showed us everything.” This strategic transformation has enabled Fotorecord to diversify its print offerings, including longer run booklets, large versioned poster work (for a well-known sporting goods chain in the Pittsburgh area), more versatile pocket folder offerings and variable data direct mailers. Additionally, due to the increased efficiency and shorter run times, its capacity has increased without the need for press operator overtime.
In full operation mode with the J Press 750S, Fotorecord is pushing the needle forward.” In full operation mode with the J Press 750S, Fotorecord is pushing the needle forward. With a 28-plus year history of customer service, the 20-person printing company continues to be a valuable resource for its Western Pennsylvania customer base. “Offset printers are now sending us work that they can’t complete as quickly or efficiently as Fotorecord can through the use of our new J Press,” Nickoloff says. “We’re earning new business with companies we were previously unable to support with our old offset press. The J Press remains the key to our continued growth and success.”
Productivity for the ages The newest generation SAMBA printheads work together with a fully re-engineered dryer system, enhancing the output speed of the J Press 750S to 3,600 sheets per hour. This doubles the sellable output and allows for even faster turnaround for all jobs.
Single-pass system The J Press 750S incorporates a single pass jetting system in the direction of the paper feeding, which along with its other enhanced technologies, results in an output speed of 3,600 sheets per hour. With almost no set-up printing required, the J Press 750S delivers world-class productivity for short run jobs and running multiple jobs in a single shift.
Increased jetting speed The latest printheads are capable of faster ink-jetting due to enhanced driving frequency and improved driving waveforms. They can discharge ink droplets faster and at a shorter interval to boost not only printing speed but also jet location accuracy.
Quick and highly efficient dryer system A completely re-engineered “contact drying” system is integrated where the printed sheets are fed onto a suction conveyor exposing the sheets to airflow and direct heat resulting in dramatically improved drying efficiency. This helps contribute to the increased speeds and creates a slightly smaller overall footprint, reducing the electrical consumption of the dryer unit.
Spring 2022
print illustrated
5
RECIPE f SUCCESS Ingredients for communicating print’s value
6
print illustrated
Spring 2022
“Congratulations, you just sold three cars! Wait, you didn’t know we were in the car business? We did a small job a few days ago for an auto dealer, who, when called a couple of days later to see how the job went, replied, ‘Oh yeah, we already sold three cars from that promotion and have another 120 qualified leads.’”
T
his was part of a story that Paul Hudson put in a recent employee newsletter. Hudson, president of Hudson Printing, likes to remind his employees that, as printers, they do not always get to see the end results from their work. People tend to think print is the end result. But as Hudson emphatically and passionately proclaims, the end result actually is what your clients achieved with that print—everything from sales, awareness, memory preservation, learning, etc.
Spring 2022
print illustrated
7
“It’s always the wrong question when people ask if we should be selling print,” he says. “We shouldn’t be selling ‘print;’ we should be communicating our willingness to solve problems for our clients with our capabilities, people and equipment. As printers, far too often we talk about our presses and other equipment, not what we can do for our customers on that equipment. We think the equipment is sexy, but our clients don’t (always) care.” Hudson is quick to note that the Hudson Printing team works hard every day to get better at telling the stories of their success in things like case studies. Showing how you are able to solve a problem for a customer is one of the best and most authentic sales tools you can use. “If you are good at this, your customers will find you.” Over the past two years, when the print industry, like so many others, was trying to find footing on shaky ground, Hudson Printing strengthened its stance. “I think the pandemic only emphasized certain aspects of the work we perform every day for our customers. These stories existed before and after the pandemic; they just didn’t have a spotlight. 8
print illustrated
Spring 2022
As an example, we have a customer that prints how-to books about crafting. We offered to print 20,000 small books for them about how to sew your own facemask (when they were not available).”
In the end, the better you understand what “ job” your client wants that piece of print to do, the more able you are to recommend options or alternatives that might make print do the job even better. The value is in the offer.
We shouldn’t be selling ‘print;’ we should be selling our willingness to solve problems for our clients with our capabilities, people and equipment.”
MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE WITH PRINT
– Paul Hudson, President, Hudson Printing And while it is a cool story on how printers can discuss the merits of print, the takeaway Hudson wants you to glean is that in the long-term, that customer still wants to publish its crafting book. “If our customers are achieving their objectives—the purpose for which they paid to have the thing printed in the first place—they will continue to do it. It works. We don’t have to convince ourselves or our customers that it works.”
Miles Kilday comes just short of calling the fight for marketing dollars a barrier. While the fight certainly has become more competitive, with the digital marketing industry spending close to a trillion dollars in resources, print still is the medium that meets people where they are. That physical space is where Kilday, co-owner and head of Sales and Business Development at American Calendar Company, says printers must make their mark. As humans, we want all our senses to be engaged. And with the systematic, unrelenting presence of digital in our faces 24/7, print can and should be marketed as the more engaging option. At least that is, as they say, Kilday’s story, and he’s sticking with it. “We do not want to fall into the trap of selling print versus digital. They are complimentary. Another easy miss is continuing to sell the same print prod-
uct, the same way as we have done in the past. ‘Hey, it worked before, right?’ That’s a bad model.” Truth be told, if you truly are seeking the answer, print must evolve to stay relevant, which means your salespeople must as well. For example, American Calendar Company is in the business of printing calendars for advertising purposes. Every time Kilday tells someone what his company does, they seem surprised that the industry still is viable. “Aren’t calendars kind of going away?” he is asked more times than he cares to admit. “You would be surprised how often that thought is verbalized,” he says. “But they are right. Calendars, in general, have been on the decline for decades. But niche segments within the general category have grown significantly during that time, which has allowed our business to grow. Print continues to evolve, which keeps it fresh. We must flex with these changes to ensure we are selling the right kind of print.” In an ironic shift of fate, the pandemic re-emphasized the incredible power of print at a time when marketers
were looking for a way to connect everyone during physical and emotional lockdowns. For printers like American Calendar Company, and scores of others, 2021 was a positive year economically—a momentum shift Kilday says printers must continue to push. “The businesses that invested in print are likely to have done well. Remind them of that. They are thinking the same thing: ‘How do I keep the momentum?’ Well, continue doing the things that led to that great year. People will be active more than ever and don’t want to be stuck behind a screen. Print will be more powerful than ever in 2022.” The blueprint, so you can write this down, is to keep it fresh and new; know the segments of opportunity that are out there today, and use the power of tactile engagement in brand recognition. For example, last year, American Calendar Company sent every re-seller one of its premium “3-month at-aglance” calendars. The top panel had the classic Albert Einstein photo “e=mc2” on the blackboard. The American Calendar Company team replaced that equation with the cus-
Be passionate about your product. If you aren’t excited about it, your customers won’t be either. Print is one of the most cost-effective branding tools out there.” – Miles Kilday, Co-owner, American Calendar Company tomer’s name. The pocket folder that came with it talked about the printer’s variable data capabilities, its large three-month calendar portfolio and the newest addition to its product line: low minimum, full-color pocket folders. To top it all off, American Calendar Company also purchased new equipment so it could continue to grow in certain segments, along with letting go of some more traditional work to help speed its turn in growth areas. “Be passionate about your product,” Kilday says. “If you aren’t excited about it, your customers won’t be either. Print is one of the most cost-effective branding tools out there. Don’t be afraid to compare it to other marketing avenues.” Spring 2022
print illustrated
9
HOW PRINT PROVIDERS RISE ABOVE ADVERSITY
10
print illustrated
Spring 2022
PRESSURE COOKER W
hen the lockdown first hit in April 2020, Paul Nickoloff took the necessary steps to right-size the production hours of his 16-person team over the first couple of months to see how things would work out. Once the Fotorecord Print & Marketing Center team began to ease out of the initial pandemic-related shock, they returned to full-time, slowly building its sales numbers back. But there is another story that sits in between that timeline, one that Nickoloff, owner of the privately-held commercial printing and direct mail company located near Pittsburgh, says paints an endearing portrait of the resiliency of every member of the Fotorecord team. Unprecedented artificial scenarios meant hard decisions and conversations were necessary—ones that had to be made without the benefit of a playbook of how it was done before. In his 28 years of operation, Nickoloff never had to lay a group of people off for a “lack of work.” While the situation was above and beyond his control, it still rocked him. He initially moved everyone back to reduced hours for the first couple of months after April 2020, but made sure everyone had a document outlining what they needed to do in order to collect state and federal benefits. And, as he made sure his employees knew he had their back, Nickoloff turned his attention to his customers.
You need to keep your ear to the ground and be proactive. Always be looking ahead six, 12, 18 months.” – Paul Nickoloff, Owner, Fotorecord Print & Marketing Center
Spring 2022
print illustrated
11
“I spent the first four months after April 2020 having deeper conversations with my client base,” he recalls. “This involved real salesmanship in the sense of learning pain points, discussing future needs and highlighting new products and services we were offering.” In the normal day-to-day whirlwind, Fotorecord may process 500-plus quotes and orders a month. But during the initial shutdown months, Nickoloff had an opportunity to dive deeper and unlock new opportunities he knew were out there. And even as key markets were suddenly drying up and supply chain issues took hold (some of which are still standing today), Fotorecord pushed on. “Our level of proactivity for quotes and orders is setting us above and beyond our competition, and is building us into more trusted partners with our clients, rather than just being another vendor,” Nickoloff says. “The new challenge is not so much getting work in, but getting work out. I have had a lot of conversations about alternative sizes and paper for ongoing client work now with paper supply issues.” If you press Nickoloff on the strategies he employed during a time of great adversity, he will tell you that success is knowing that while you are going to take a hit, you still can come up swinging. “You need to keep your ear to the ground and be proactive. Always be looking ahead six, 12, 18 months.” For example, Fotorecord’s No. 1 paper vendor was complaining in early spring 2022 about getting rolls for its web press clients. But once the printer installed its Fujifilm J Press 750S
(digital inkjet sheet-fed press) in July, it slowly started building inventory of its house sheets and envelopes coming into the big direct mail season over the last several months of 2022.
We are never going to go back to the way it was before the pandemic. That means you should never be satisfied with the status quo. Always know the key indicators you need to monitor for the health of your business.
It worked out, and continues to pay dividends today, with Fotorecord’s one- to two-month inventory now versus the next-to-nothing available in the paper market. “Being proactive means you don’t have to say ‘no’ to a – David Bennett, President, client request,” Nickoloff says. Bennett Graphics
10
ways you can rise above adversity
The story of serial entrepreneur, marketer and investor Deep Patel is one everyone should know. Raised in a middle-class family in a small town with the third-highest level of concentrated poverty in the U.S., the Macon, Georgia, product who couldn’t code, didn’t go to college and never benefited from a single dime from an investor, is founder of one of the fastest-growing CBD brands. And he is 22. Here are 10 ways he says you can turn adversity on its head.
12
print illustrated
Spring 2022
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
In his 40 years in the business, David Bennett has never seen the pressure on costs and the availability of materials at the level that it is now. Materials that normally have a three-to-five-day availability, sometimes now are not available for 10 to 12 weeks. In addition, Bennett Graphics is getting hit with price increases on a monthly basis. And to make things even more interesting, it also has been put on alloca-
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
tion with some of its larger suppliers, putting enormous pressure on margins, as well as being able to meet the delivery requirements of its clients.
broadened our supplier pool, along with having to order much less efficient sizes at a considerably higher cost just to meet our clients’ needs.”
“The pool to choose from is smaller, as well as the desire to commit to the tasks required to serve our clients,” says Bennett, president of the Tucker, Georgia printer. “To do things a little differently, we have been communicating with our clients on a much more regular basis. We’ve also
On the backside of the initial crush of the pandemic—and everything and anything that went along with that—Bennett has gained a stronger appreciation for even the simplest things. Take communications, Bennett and his team have found success with better, more consistent and intentional communication. “With our employees, we are really trying to explain the ‘why’ before the ‘what.’ I think we all fear having hard conversations more than we should. Both our employees and clients are smart groups. These conversations consistently go better than what we had anticipated.”
Find your sense of humor Be mentally prepared Take stock of all you’ve been through already Adversity offers valuable insights Make peace with the situation
Which brings Bennett to his most hardcore set of tips he recommends in time of adversity: Just communicate. Over communicate. Try to shift from a reactive to a proactive outlook. “Today is the new reality. We are never going to go back to the way it was before the pandemic. That means you should never be satisfied with the status quo. Always know the key indicators you need to monitor for the health of your business.”
Embrace adversity as a chance for opportunity Refuse to give up Have a purpose Keep a positive mindset Believe in your capabilities Spring 2022
print illustrated
13
HEAD ON TACKLING TODAY’S PRINT INDUSTRY ISSUES
Andy Paparozzi joined PRINTING United Alliance in July 2018. As chief economist, his responsibilities include analyzing and reporting on the printing industry’s performance and prospects. His primary responsibility, however, is being an observer of the industry, listening carefully to the issues and concerns of company owners, executives, and managers. Previously, he worked for 31 years at the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), where he developed the Association’s State of the Industry Series, Capital Investment Report, and Compensation Series. We sat down with Paparozzi to get his take on the industry. What are the top three things on your mind with regard to the current printing landscape?
It is really one interrelated issue, with nothing a close second: supply chain disruptions, material shortages, and labor shortages and the cost inflation, production disruptions, and extreme pressure on margins they are creating. Consider the results of the first quarter “2022 PRINTING United Alliance/NAPCO Research State of the Industry Survey.” Nearly 65.0% of the 225 participants to date expect to increase sales during the first half of 2022, on average by 13.8%, but just 37.7% expect to increase pre-tax profitability. Reasons why include material shortages (92.6%), rising substrate costs (85.5%), rising labor costs (71.7%), rising transportation costs (70.9%), labor shortages (66.5%), and rising ink/toner costs (59.8%). In addition, 41.4% of our research group are now very concerned about losing clients to print alternatives and 34.9% are very concerned about maintaining healthy working capital. Last year printers protected margins by raising prices. But that was when inflation was supposed to be transitory. Expect resistance to price increases to stiffen now that everyone knows inflation is embedded and persistent, not transitory. Consequently, consistent, companywide productivity gains more than cost pass-through will be the key to protecting and building margins in 2022.
14
print illustrated
Spring 2022
Even the most carefully thought-out plans are of little benefit if they are not executed effectively.” How do you suspect that our industry has been reshaped for the next few years? The gamut of opportunity is expanding but the margin for error is shrinking. As a result, three skills will be increasingly important. First, capturing market intelligence, including using social media to identify client needs and preferences. Put simply, if clients are on a particular social media platform, we have to be there too. Second, being “data centric,” or treating data as a business asset that can reduce risk and answer questions such as: “How can we create maximum value for clients?”, “How can we create a sustainable
competitive advantage?”, “Is that new production process meeting expectations?”, “Which marketing campaign has been most effective?”, and “How are employees responding to a new HR initiative?” And third, execution. Even the most carefully thought-out plans are of little benefit if they are not executed effectively. I also expect purchasing and inventory management to be elevated to mission-critical status, including sales, finance, marketing, and production. Some State of the Industry participants are already adding talent to bolster analysis, planning, and forecasting capabilities in these areas, having experienced the benefits of strength and costs of weakness.
As we all grapple with retention, what questions should printers ask themselves? Our industry’s labor shortages are structural, not just cyclical. They predated the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue long after we have learned to live with the virus and its variants. Three questions every company in our industry should ask include: “What are we doing to build an effective employer brand?”, “What are we doing to craft a compelling employee value proposition?”, and “What are we doing to maximize employee engagement?”
What are some of the best practices printers can use to grow their business in this new world?
Certainly rigorous opportunity evaluation. The challenge in our industry is not a lack of opportunity—the challenge is deciding what is and what isn’t an opportunity given a company’s specific resources, capabilities, and circumstances. The right choices contribute to sustainable competitive advantage. The wrong choices deplete resources, fragment operations, and undermine core capabilities. Tools to help us make the best choices include the Cagan Opportunity Assessment, Lean Canvas, and the Product Opportunity Evaluation Matrix. Which we use is a matter of personal preference. Using any one of the three can be the difference between diversifying and diversifying profitably.
What new revenue streams do you feel are ripe for printers?
I think it is more of a new way of thinking about our business. Rather than thinking of being in the printing business, think of being in the business of helping clients communicate more effectively with their clients. Maybe it is through a marketing campaign that includes personalized direct mail, a landing page, response tracking, and response analysis—all driven by advanced data analytics. Or maybe it is marketing collateral with the “wow” power to grab the target audience’s attention. Or maybe it is a start-to-finish program that includes campaign development, design, printing, mailing, and fulfillment that gets us involved in the client’s work earlier, keeps us involved longer, and maximizes value created and is so important to the client.
The challenge in our industry is not a lack of opportunity—the challenge is deciding what is and what isn’t an opportunity given a company’s specific resources, capabilities, and circumstances.” By the way, the number and diversity of products State of the Industry participants expect to grow over the next one to two years is impressive. More than 20 products, ranging from POP displays to vehicle graphics to performance ware, were listed by at least two-fifths of our survey panel. The three most frequently cited are: folding cartons (68.3%) wall/architectural/building graphics (63.4%), and direct mail (61.4%).
Finally, what roles do you see emerging as critical?
Leadership, more than anything else, because our industry is getting more competitive and more complex. Leadership includes the ability to define a vision for the company; communicate that vision to employees, clients, and other stakeholders; generate commitment to the vision; develop each employee’s desire and ability to contribute to the company’s success; and consistently create value. Put simply, management—even excellent management—isn’t enough anymore.
Spring 2022
print illustrated
15
UNDER THE HOOD
A LOOK INSIDE THE PRINT MARKET
Printing has seen its share of change. With the wear and tear of the past couple of years, it makes sense to take a peek under the hood and see what’s going on with the markets you compete within and get expert advice to tune up your business.
COMMERCIAL PRINT Offset, toner digital and inkjet markets include everything from books and business forms to direct mail and collateral material. 16
print illustrated
Spring 2022
SIGN AND DISPLAY MARKET Primarily screen and inkjet markets focus on out-of-home projects like exhibits, retail items and billboards.
PACKAGING The primarily flexo, offset and inkjet market is perfect for tape and label, folding carton, corrugated, and flexible packaging.
INDUSTRIAL Utilizing screen, offset, and inkjet, this market is great for graphic overlay, credit cards, optical media, and specialty items.
ACCELERATED CHANGE CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PRINT INDUSTRY
Many print businesses thought that they had a great plan coming into the new year. Budgets were set, people in place and everything was ready to go. The challenge came as they began facing inconsistent demand, staffing challenges brought on by the pandemic, and a supply chain nightmare. Some owners are weighing whether it’s time to pivot and move to plan B, or hold steady while they work through this. While there are several new headwinds that they face, strategic execution issues will always hamper the results of any well-thought-out plan. The pandemic certainly modified the customer landscape for many printing companies. While some of their customers never missed a beat, some took a pause, and some went away entirely. Most leaders aren’t alone in managing the business, but without a clear direction, or vision, it can be very difficult for others on the payroll to be helpful. The printers’ playbook, regardless of the markets they serve, includes a collection of values, core principles, and competitive business advantages. It’s the blueprint of what makes a successful business.
Insight, innovation and execution are the pillars of the most successful businesses. These are three of the areas that have been under stress during the pandemic and continue to be challenged as printers get back in the game. How well prepared you are will help determine how well you lead your print business during stressful times. Nobody would want an untrained person working on their car. They would demand mechanical expertise that came from proper training. In turn, these awkward times require leaders that are taking the time to learn new ideas and prepare through thoughtful planning. The ability to communicate with staff and stakeholders is critical. There may not always be a clear path forward, but that does not excuse the need to effectively speak to and listen to teams. As busy as many of the shops are, most are still way below their full capacity. And while they are being challenged with lean staffs, they should find every opportunity to capture the business that comes their way. Be creative with scheduling, and be creative in your departmental staffing and workflow to minimize any bottlenecks and allow the work to accelerate through your shop. Source: Mike Philie, CEO, The PhilieGroup
Spring 2022
print illustrated
17
The J Press 750S prepares you for the future like no other press can.
Get to know the J Press 750S, especially now with the new high speed model. The wise commercial printer always prepares for the future, and no piece of equipment gets that job done like the J Press 750S. The fact is, the J Press 750S brings the most flexibility allowing commercial printers to win more work from more segments. n
Improve the bottom line
n
See the return on investment
n
Simplify hiring and training
n
Rely on the reliability
n
Gain market advantage
n
Win more work
Learn more about the only inkjet press to receive dual Idealliance Certifications at fujifilmgraphics.com
FUJIFILM · 850 Central Avenue · Hanover Park, Illinois 60133 · 800.877.0555 · fujifilmgraphics.com