Unlike other print markets, labels and packaging weathered the pandemic. As consumers endured isolation, package arrivals became an event and labels and packaging worked as a marketing channel, providing brands a special consumer connection. The “Planning for Profitability in Labels and Packaging 2021” research report is of value. 

In other words, do not sell yourself short! Why do we deliberately give ‘services’ away or charge practically nil (a.k.a. zero) for it? Have you said, “the customer is not going to pay that” or “our competitor’s pricing is much lower”. Have we become obsessed with focusing on our own internal navigation -- that we are not obsessed with the value a...

Our great industry and your customer markets are NOT a zero-sum game. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had to come to that personal understanding re. software and computers and they did ahead of their industry! My observation is that most organizations have capabilities – that not just their target customers and prospects – but also including nearby compe...

When was the last time you wrote a special check or bought a high-end dinner for an employee or a department who went the extra mile? Do you celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries? Is there space in those gatherings for recognizing significant achievements? If ever there were a time for senior management to make sure that everyone knows how muc...

Can we all agree that production print is a software dependent business? Yes, the presses are critical. But without optimized software, they cannot efficiently produce high quality, error-free, personalized output. Print companies are continually seeking cost-effective alternatives for maintaining and optimizing their print-related software. Read m...

Your company and your customer contact personnel need to be educating customers on the superior value of digital media. How digital media will increase the value of almost all other combinations of media. Our industry, major and regional associations could be leading this charge and could be relentlessly following through. I have to ask, why aren’t...

Jacob Aizikowitz’s hypothesizes is that CMOs declining use of print stems from the perception that print is out of synch with their digital marketing technology. Print is seen as an offline media not easily blended into digital’s seamless processes. CMOs find online, digital channels to be simpler.

Kodak’s new collaborative partnership with Microsoft, PrintVis, and Vpress is worth investigating. This new Kodak Prinergy On Demand Business Solutions creates an integrated business and production workflow environment for workflow efficiency and cost containment. Printers with homegrown workflows comprised of diverse software tools and processes m...

We can’t grow and achieve our goals if we are comfortable. Like you, I have had to re-think my way of doing business! Typically (in a comfortable setting), I would travel the United States educating and training printing companies in the Wide-Format arena. I had a major decision to make – stay comfortable or be uncomfortable! I chose to be uncomfo...

Don’t worry about what might happen, worry about what you need to make happen for your customers. They are your lifeline, your future, and they need you. Stay focused on what you don’t know that you should know and what you need to do better and can do better.