Neopost delivered its first in a series of print educational seminars for the year, aiming to help printshop owners develop their businesses
Karen Kavanagh, marketing director, Neopost, explains, ““This is just the beginning for us. We are moving to a more content driven seminar approach with our clients. It is important for the industry that while it is going through challenges and change that someone like Neopost is teaching and educating.
“When you partner with Neopost you partner with someone who can not only offer the equipment, but has expertise in supporting growth, advising you in trends and challenges, and is good partner in print that can help you grow your business.
“Yesterday was one of many seminars we will offer throughout the year. We are in Queensland tomorrow, and Victoria on Thursday. I want people to look out for these, they are punchy, and packed with information.” The events will see Neopost partnering with HP.
In Sydney Kavanagh delivered a session on direct mail, speaking from both a marketing perspective, and print perspective, explaining that, “People are overwhelmed with the amount of people trying to connect with them through digital marketing. If you do something clever with print, you will stand out. Marketers know if it is done right it will get better results.
“I am not saying to shy away from digital, but having both together gets better results and the stats speak for themselves.
“You do not need high levels of investment either to produce effective direct mail marketing. One customer I spoke to said he does a little bit of direct marketing, mostly standard printed sheets, and when a customer wants something different, he can go to the market and work with a partner.
“You can find printers in the high-end print space and work with them to give your customers something different in print. You do not need to have the high-end capabilities yourself.
“Embellishment is something the industry is looking at to increase the value of print. Marketeers love lavish print, and they like things they have not seen previously.
It is not necessarily expensive when you do choose to invest, basic foiling and lamination can create embellishment, right up to UV coating. Yes you can invest, and create outstanding print, but good direct mail does not have to be lavish, and it does not need a huge technology investment from the printer.”
Jeremy Brew, application specialist, Large Format Printing, HP Graphic Solutions, delivered a session on newer applications with latex printing, and growth areas for printers to boost revenues.
Brew says, “It is easier to sell new applications to current customers rather than getting new customers. Conversely, new applications can also bring in new customers.
“Wide-format applications, Sign & Display, where most of the industry operates, has around 6.6bn sqm globally of addressable space. The Decor market, which is mostly untapped, in particular by digital, has 23bn sqm of potential space for print, four times as much.
“Even the room we are in, which could be described as 50 shades of beige, could have had much more print sold as part of its design.
“The acoustic panels on the walls could be personalised, the outside of the blinds could have the Parkroyal hotel printed on, you could use magnetic layers of paint underneath the top cover and have magnetic printed signage that is easily put up and removed.
“Retail clothing stores are increasingly using more soft signage, and printed fabrics, as it is much closer to the product that they sell. For printers, this presents the opportunity for repeat business.
“Globally, hotels have fallen to what is described as the ‘Trip Advisor’ effect, driving down the average time between renovations and redecorations from every seven years, to every four years. This presents much more opportunities for print businesses moving into printed Decor.
“When HP surveyed 300 interior decorators, and designers across the US and UK, 90 per cent said they would recommend and specify wallcoverings. Broken down, 54 per cent that work with corporate workplaces agreed, along with 42 per cent in hospitality, and 30 per cent in retail.
“Even HP has changed its logo three times in recent memory – each change necessitating every single piece of branded equipment to be reprinted.”
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