That oversight could be fatal to a marketing campaign, a product launch, or a branding initiative that is trying to connect with people. People trust print. They feel comfortable using it. And they can’t fast forward past it.

This guide to the persuasive power of print provides the top ten reasons why you should consider using print in your next campaign. It doesn’t have to be the only medium you use. But, you most definitely should consider print whenever you want to persuade, inform or entertain. Here are your reasons why. . .

 
Read the rest  of the guide here:  Why Print

The key to print’s future, in my opinion, is the functionality of print. As pointed out in previous Flash reports and my recent book, Competing for Print’s Thriving Future, although many print products and services provide multiple functions we can sort data on shipments and plants by three major intended functions:

• Print intended to inform or communicate factual and editorial information such a magazines, newspapers, books and reports.
• Print providing product logistics to manufactured products-packaging, labels, wrappers, and product user manuals.
• Print intended to market, promote, or sell various products, services, political candidates, positions, or ideas-marketing and promotional print such as catalogs, direct mail, and brochures.

Of the three functions, only one-print logistics-is not subject to competition and substitution by digital media. Conversely, print’s inform or communicate function is subject to the highest risk of substitution from digital media. Print as a marketing, promotion and sales media appears to be in the middle.

Figure 1

Past As Prologue

To recap our previous look at past trends only the logistics function of print increased in dollar shipments over the 1999-2009 period. In contrast the other two functions declined although the marketing function was virtually unchanged.
 

Figure 2

Trends In Number Of Printing Establishments

The trends in printing plants were somewhat different as the number of plants in all three functions declined over the same period.

Figure 3

Trends In Printing Sales

Combining the shipments and plant trends provides an indicator of how the surviving plants performed over the same period. Because the survivors gained market shares of the exiting plants, average sales per plant increased with the biggest relative gains in print logistics.

From this trend analysis we can rank specific print products relative growth (higher or lower than average):

• Highest Relative Growth: greeting cards, direct marketing, packaging
• Modest Relative Growth:  labels/wrappers,  general commercial
• Less Relative Growth: magazine printing, book printing, trade services, newspapers
• Least Relative Growth: business forms, financial/legal

We can also rank specific print products by competitive intensity-a comparison of total sector sales versus the number of firms competing in that sector   

• Most Attractive: magazine printing, book printing
• Attractive: greeting cards, packaging
• Less Attractive: newspaper printing, labels/wrappers, financial/legal, business forms
• Least Attractive: direct marketing, commercial printing, trade services

Figure 4

A Likely Future

What about the future? We have created some possible scenarios ten years into the future based on trends over the past ten years. Our first scenario is a possible likely scenario that projects real or inflation-adjusted shipments to decline by 4 percent per year for the inform function, increase by 2 percent per year for themarketing function, and increase by 3 percent per year for the logistics function. In this scenario total printing shipments grow over the next ten years.
 

Figure 5

Likely Scenario For Industry Sales

Adjusting for an expected continuing reduction in the number of printing plants specializing in each function provides a scenario for future shipments per plant in 2021. As can be seen, surviving plants in the marketing and logistics function enjoy substantial growth in shipments while surviving plants specializing in the information experience sales declines.
 

Figure 6

Composition of Industry Shipments

Looking deeper we see that the percentage composition of total shipments at the end of our 10 year projection shows significant decline in the share for the inform function and growth for the logistics and marketing functions.
 

Figure 7

Pessimistic Shipments Scenario

This scenario is only for examination purposes and is not necessarily a forecast of print’s future. However, it does offer a possible glimpse of the direction of current trends and an environmental scan for discussion and planning purposes. The bottom-line implication is that print and surviving printers can have a thriving future. The key imperative for today’s printers is to implement the strategies and operating tactics for survival as the industry continues to restructure.
 

Figure 8

Wrapping Up: Prints Positive Future

The key conclusion from this analysis is that there can be a very positive future for print and printers. Today’s printers that are aware of the emerging industry environment and crucial business strategies and tactics have a very bright future. Even if the pessimistic scenario were to unfold, on a per plant basis, the surviving firms would still experience sales growth in two of the three major functional categories.

Figure 9

Source: Flash Report

More and more web printers are taking advantage of our Kentucky Shine aqueous overprints for commercial and publication applications. KS-143 Soft-Feel and KS-145 Gloss are two popular products gaining in popuarity.

Contact us to learn more.

Soft-Feel is a durable coating that exhibits excellent rub properties. In addition, it is very likely that jobs overprinted with Soft-Feel can be spot UV-coated, hot foil stamped, imprinted, and evaluated for other finishing processes.

Performance Characteristics:
• Soft-Feel exhibits an excellent matte appearance and non-burnishing characteristics.
• A normal overprint volume anilox configuration should provide the desired film thickness for optimal “Soft-Feel” properties.
• KS-9807 exhibits excellent rub and scuff resistance.
• KS-9807 has been used successfully with UV and water-based flexo ink systems.
• This coating “MAY BE SUITABLE” for hot foil stamping, off-line UV coating, imprinting and other finishing applications. KS-9807 should be completely evaluated under production conditions using the actual substrate, ink, and materials for foil stamping, off-line UV coating and imprinting to ensure satisfaction throughout the entire process.
• Ensure that the web is thoroughly dried or cured to avoid blocking in the rewind.

KS-9807 Soft-Feel also works for sheetfed litho aqueous applications.  We also have Kentucky Shine press-applied Soft-Feel products for sheetfed and web heatset applications.

Contact us if you would like to learn more about Soft-Feel for your application.

Kustom Group has developed a series of overprints and coatings to work successfully over a wide variety of digital printing applications. All of these chemistries can be used to meet the need to protect the digitally printed piece.

All too often the industry has focused on UV coatings as the product of choice to protect the digital print, but there are more options that will satisfy the needs for many of the print jobs. The use of a typical litho press is not often considered, but it can be used because of the development of these new products. Purchasing new UV coating equipment and learning about UV isn’t necessary.

KS-190 Kentucky Shine Aqueous OPV

Kentucky Shine is a water based overprint that has all the properties of a typical aqueous coating when applied over digital printing. It is easily applied by a dry offset process thru the ink unit of any offset press which is readily available in most print shops. Matte, Satin and Soft-Feel finishes are available.

KB-3164 Lithomaster Gloss OPV for Digital

This product allows the printer to pattern-apply oil-based overprint to protect digital print.  In addition, the in-line combination of Lithomaster Strike-Thru overprint varnish with a Kentucky Shine gloss overprint on any multicolor litho press enables further enhancement of the printed piece.  This Strike-Thru process can be used to achieve a matte and gloss combination in one pass on the litho press. Reticulation finishes are also available.

KS-450 Kustom Kure UV Coating for Digital

This UV coating is specially formulated to adhere to many of the most difficult toner prints.

Contact us for more information on our coatings and overprints for your digital printing application.

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If you have any questions contact us through the online form or give us a call at 859-485-8600. We are standing by to support your needs.