How much of a marketer are you? Put simply, the more you are the better your chance of running a sustainable business. So I’m telling you nothing new, and print sector has – for the most part – now woken up to its ‘communications sector’ responsibility and become better at selling itself. Certainly, most of the large-format operations I see are doing a great job of marketing their own services. Many have also become adept at speaking the marketing lingo required of them to hold fruitful conversations with those that can put work their way. But…
The ‘but’ is whether large-format PSPs - and specifically those involved in producing print for marketing campaigns - are pushing the envelope far enough in terms of integrated print solutions?
In June, Signbox posted a blog about Near Field Communication (NFC) and its adoption and possibilities for the signage industry in relation to marketing campaigns - and thus for its own business development (the blog can read at http://www.signbox.co.uk/blog and at http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/news/4-wide-format-news/5219-comment-from-signbox). For me that raised various questions about how well understood the possibilities for integrated print are within the large-format print fraternity, and whether we could be making more noise about what’s achievable. Signbox is not alone in being able to show projects that use the likes of NFC, but it’s not part of a crowd either.
That there is room for more PSPs to get more involved in print integration projects is unquestionable. But when are we likely to see much more involvement – and who drives the development? In this issue you’ll find two articles relating to the topic; one on print/digital screen integration, and one looking at the potential for iPR scanning technology. I’d be interested in hearing whether either are on your radar and whether integrated print solutions are part of your development plans.