Here's what your fellow professionals from our LinkedIn group had to say in January and February.
Are print managers good for the industry?
This whole 'price matching' thing shouldn't be done by a decent print manager. Ultimately, a client usually drives this, and open and honest print managers have processes that do not allow further negotiation once a printer submits their estimate. In saying that, way before the days of print managers, printers were always offering to match the lowest price. Only ethical behaviour can protect the industry sometimes from itself. Likewise client-print manager financial models which reward lower pricing are destructive. The better financial models allocate a head hour cost for the buyer and services, with no mark-up on the printers' cost at all. The competitive marketplace should therefore solely control the cost. And one final thing. That marketplace shouldn't be 'every printer'! Print buyers need to determine a very limited list of targeted printers which suit a job on its merits. Not go to the whole of Australia for a quote. This is another false friend to the print industry. Quality print hubs don't do it, and clients should not demand it. Ultimately it undermines any desired effect on cost or quality anyway.
Darryl Anderson, head of print, Adstream
Are prices unrealistic? What can be done?
Having succumbed to the downward spiral, perhaps we need to understand how we provide value to our clients and potential clients? If we cannot present them with a value proposition that shows them how we can add value to their business at the price we can sustain, we will continue to flounder. Value is a two-way street and developing a value proposition is not particularly simple, but it can be done. I would also mention that it includes much more than just price. For example – what is it worth to your client if you can turn around a job between 5.00pm Friday and 10.00am Saturday?
Kieran May, director, Printing Industries Association of Australia
How do you attract and retain talent?
Start by having proper content on the subject in your company website. I am currently attending to this in our own website and hope to get buy-in from our new owners. Actually answer candidate calls when they contact your company – don' pan them off to meaningless departments or contacts. Refrain from standardised e-mail replies to applications, be friendly, show compassion and interest, value the candidates' efforts, even if he/she is not suitable. Encourage and identify your own staff to recommend and refer candidates. Refrain from engaging recruiters who can't demonstrate industry experience or reference clients.
Ulrich H. Schild, general manager of marketing and product development, Blue Star
How often do you need to replace major offset and digital kit to remain competitive?
Every three to five years for digital. The leaps in technology make the equipment redundant and uncompetitive after this time. Also, most vendors no longer want to service equipment after five years. I know this from direct experience.
Peter Arman, managing director, Central Imaging Technologies
Credit insurance or debtor insurance… historically was expensive, however the costs have come down over the years and now is quite affordable and can get flexibility with policy structures. The printing industry has sadly been hit with many insolvencies and 29 companies a day are going broke in Australia. Not only does credit insurance offer peace of mind but you get free collections and contributions to legal costs and access to information that you wouldn't normally be privy too.
Sharon O'Hanlon, managing director, RecCom Credit Insurance
I recently went to a food and travel show with a friend. And my friend wouldn't take any brochures or leaflets because she was saving the planet! So the message does get to the general public unfortunately.
Sharon Sewell, owner, Varsity Graphics
What's the most effective advertising channel? Catalogues? Magazines? Flyers? Something else?
Face-to-face with a catalogue backed up with direct mail, and signage for bricks-and-mortar business.
Duncan Lennox, manager, Minuteman Press Brisbane
How important is web-to-print?
A web to print offering is essential for printers now. Those who are avoiding implementation will suffer. Yes the pain of change is great – but the pain will be greater when you lose customers to a competitor that can put your customers brand assets in the cloud for editing and ordering at any time. Heed the warning.
Katherine Smith, managing director, 44 Gallons
We use a combination of these. Depends what suits the customer. We host an FTP site, but also use Dropbox and Yousendit. Still get CSRs coming to me saying 'there's something wrong with the email, customer X is trying to send me a 100Mb file and it keeps bouncing'.
Michael Powell, prepress manager, Optima Press
What kind of reports are missing in the industry?
Annual reports… printed ones that is! Remember the days of designing and printing a beautiful annual report for a company with a $250k budget? One of fond memory is one I produced in the 90s which consisted of six spot colours, embossing, matt celloglaze, spot UV varnish and diecutting… and that was just the front cover. Today we can only dream!
Peter Juergens, creative director, Jurgens & Co.
[Related: What your fellow professionals said last time]
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