The Print Buyers of Today & TomorrowMargie DanaMargiedana.com
March 6, 2014Graphic Arts Association
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ARE YOU READY?
IMPORTANT INFORMATIONCOMING YOUR WAY
PRINT BUYERINTELLIGENCE 2014!
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Latest Research Is Why I’m “Here”
o Surveyed 315 print buyers in July 2013
Why? To identify changes to role of print buyers & develop a current, reliable profile of typical buyer
o Partnered with consultant John Zarwan
J Zarwan Partners, independent consultancy. Dr. Zarwan is internationally known for his knowledge & independent perspective. www.johnzarwan.com
o No one else is studying this community
o Research benefits buyers, print providers, suppliers
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What to Expect This Morning
o 60-75 minute presentationo Q & Ao Our key findings in this researcho A peek at what today’s “New Print
Buyers” look likeo Implications for print service providerso My predictions
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Steeped in “print buyer-hood”o Former print buyer 15+ years
o Founder of Print Buyers International (2006-2012)
o Produced 9 PBI Print & Media Conferences
o Write weekly Print Tips (since 1999)
o Manage buyers-only PBI LinkedIn Group
o Wrote 3 books about print buying & print selling
o New business: content provider
o Conduct market research on print buyers
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What I Can Do for You
1 Content marketing strategy – determine where you need more or better content
2 Social media jumpstart plan – 3 months
3 Develop excellent blogs – inbound marketing
4 Develop spot-on email newsletters – a specialty
5 Audit & improve your web site
6 Consult with you on print customer issues
7 Public speaking – for sales teams, print CEOs
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The New Print Buyers Report
315 print buyers
Across all industries
90% US, 10% Canada
Anonymous. They trusted us with the data.
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Key Demographics
o Work in 1 of 3 types of businesses: companies that buy print (59%); creatives, agencies (29%); brokers, independent buyers, print managers (12%).
o For most, print buying still important part of their job. Only 20% said not a core responsibility.
o Printers were not eligible.
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How much print do they buy?
In aggregate? $1 billion - $1.5 billion.
Half spend over $1 million annually.
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What are they buying? You name it.
Brochures, collat. 80% Direct mail 56% Flyers 51% Posters 50% Sign/display 49% P-cards/rack cards 46% Stationery 38%
Ad inserts31%
Packaging, labels 30%
POP27%
Publications26%
Catalogs25%
Manuals, doc 22% Forms 20%
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Gender? Age? Experience?
The interesting stuff no one bothers to find out.
We did.
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63% were women
Women are more
experienced
Women more likely to be in corporate
environments
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Most respondents
over 4525% are
younger than that
So…typical print buyer today is a woman over 45
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How experienced are they?
39% had over 20 years18% had 16 – 20 years20% had 11 – 15 years16% had 6 – 10 years 5% had 1 – 5 yearsOnly 2% had under 1 year
Their print buying roles differed.
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Where do you think they work?
- Corporate communications?
- Marketing?
- Creative/graphic design?
- Purchasing?
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Take a look…
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March marketing. Echoes 1st study
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Implications? Job titles moving away from Print Buyer &
Production Manager.
Movement towards Marketing
In January study, only 18% had titles of Print Buyer
30% were Production Managers
Roughly 50% had other titles
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This study’s findings are
representative of the print
buying universe.
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What other roles do print buyers have?
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Print buying “Plus”
97% of buyers do something in addition to buying print
56% buy other things
43% do marketing-related functions
29% do production/manufacturing
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In this sense, buyers
shadowing print industry
evolution.
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Print buying becoming more diffuse
Others in organizations are ALSO involved in buying print, like these:
30% purchasing/procurement21% marketing communications23% general administrative groups
Implications?
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Buyers seek help
internally. Who’s #1?
Graphic designers.
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What value-add services
do buyers REALLY want
from printers?
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76% - ideas about new print concepts, innovation
67% - mailing/fulfillment
44% - personalization
26% - web-to-print
24% - multichannel support
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Pure Printers or MSPs?
Just 13% of survey respondents said,
“I only want my printers to print.”
Implications?
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From Jan 2013:
How important is a printer’s expertise in
color management?
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I consider expertise in color management from my printers…
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So, do these buyers choose printers based on color certification/s?
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o61% said NOo 27% look for G7 certification
o 21% look for GRACoL certification
How do they decide? Subjective criteria:o Experience of supervisor/pressmen
o Experience working with the printer
o “I trust my own eye for color”
Implications?
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Print volumes in 2013… Up? Down?
39%: about the same27%: down more than -5%16%: up more than 5%10%: down less than -5% 8%: up less than 5%
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Related findings
Largest increase from agencies
Companies that spend a lot now will likely increase print
Buyers of $1 - $5 million annually most likely to show large increases
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Does equipment really matter?
Yes, indeed!
73% YES
23% SOMETIMES
4% NO
Implications?
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How to feature your equipment
- Easy to find on your site. Current & complete.
- Featured in banners on your site. Be creative. Infographic?
- Build a postcard campaign with your best, most versatile presses. Think “What YOU can use this for,” not “Its bells & whistles.”
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My predictions for print buying
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March towards marketing continueso Buyers as communication or media
specialists – more likely to work in a marketing environment
o Buyers handling more types of products: commercial print, mail/fulfillment, digital ad purchases. Common thread? Brand color control.
o Buyers’ roles will continue to evolve.
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Pure buying roles will fade away
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The Savvy
TheNewbies
Widening knowledge gap
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Ramifications of this?
MAJOR effect for printers: need to reach & teach all customer groups
Opportunities growing for printers to reach youngest workforce members
Likely that print sourcing will move online in a significant way
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New workforce will do their sourcing online
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How will they interact?
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Relevant traits of Gen Y & Gen CRelationship-oriented purchasing.
Friends’/peers’ recommendations highly valued.
Instant communication.Crave innovation.Playful mentality.Visuals matter more.
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What do I make of all this?
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How should printers prepare? o Know your customers: seniors as well as
freshman class
o Focus business development on Marketing & Purchasing units in companies
o Enhance your online presence especially for the next wave of customers (Gen Y & C)
o Join marketing/direct marketing associations
o Tout your value-added services
o Engage with customers/prospects via conversational content (blogs, posts, videos)
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How should buyers prepare? o Expand their skills & expertise, maybe
marketing
o Avoid print-centricity on resume, in job hunt
o Quantify their accomplishments in biz terms that managers identify with
o Get comfortable with social media & digital marketing disciplines
o Build a peer group to network with
o Know that their print expertise is valuable to future employers
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Future of print buying?
o 100% online engagement?o No more door-to-door sales reps?o Mobile devices preferred tools?o Virtual events & videos for
education?o Peer reviews matter to you, a la
Amazon, TripAdvisor, Facebook
@margiedana
“The challenge for the communication &
technology industries will be to abandon successful
but outlived business models & refocus on what it takes to thrive in the Gen
C environment.”
The Rise of Generation C: Implications for the World of 2020
Booz & Company, 2010
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The New Print Buyers Report
40-page PDF
Filled with data
Authors’ conclusions
$99
www.margiedana.com/store/reports
Code: GAA for $15 off!
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Questions? Thanks!
Margie Dana, Content [email protected] 617.730.5951
Visit www.margiedana.com
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