Corporate printing and those who buy it

The transformation of corporate printing

Even though the corporate printing landscape has changed greatly over the years, buying print is still an important business function. What does the job entail? Dealing directly with your chosen print supplier to solve problems and negotiate price remain the two most important jobs for many buyers. So it is not surprising, that most buyers prefer to deal with printing services they feel comfortable with, who solve their individual needs. And in our experience, many marketers, designers and event planners prefer to work with as few printing companies as possible. This seems to hold true whether the buyer’s printing knowledge ranges from very little to several years or even decades.

Activities related to corporate printing

Because corporate printing companies have added so many capabilities over the past twenty years, buyers must look to them to make sound recommendations. Recommendations about print-related activities such as G7, online global fulfillment and digital variable data printing are just a few. Besides the aforementioned services, more and more printing companies bring additional aspects and knowledge to the table, like database capabilities and multichannel support as well as others that I’ve written about in past blogs and newsletters (see below).

• Why printing companies are adopting G7
• Printing and global fulfillment services. We’re not in Kansas any more
• Digital Printing Ain’t What It Used To Be
• Variable data printing
• Don’t let Big Data Growth overwhelm your business
• Multichannel Marketing Solutions

With so much going on, it’s easy to see that corporate printing is a lot more than just ink on a page. It’s more about marketing. That is why print buyers need to choose their partners accordingly and with care.

Corporate printing is making a comeback

The medium of print has changed greatly over the past couple of decades, resulting in a renewed interest in and support for it.  Which is a good thing. After all, print now offers buyers many more elements and opportunities than it did in the past. In addition to the marketing components that are now a crucial part of print services, buyers also can turn to corporate printing companies for creative and innovative solutions. Many imaginative solutions are now possible thanks to the different papers, inks, finishes and formats that are now available. These advances can help open up a world of great eye-catching and sales-generating ideas for print buyers and the companies they represent.

All this makes it clear why print buyers need to partner with the savviest of corporate printing companies, if they want to get the most out of this reemerging medium. And I mean any print buyer, whether those just starting out or even those who feel they are well versed in printing options.

Best of Days to You

Audrey Ferrante
Ferrante & Associates, Inc.