At the end of the ’86 cult classic, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the film’s smooth-tongued hero imparted this pearl of wisdom: “Life moves pretty fast – if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

It’s good advice that could well apply to the PR world. As someone who could politely be described as a PR ‘veteran’ (faxed press releases, anyone?), I’ve seen the communications landscape change dramatically – particularly since the internet age, and again more recently with the dawn of social media. 

Digital has undoubtedly been a game changer. It has given us all the power to build a loyal following and exert influence on groups of people. That’s why today’s PR pro is every bit as likely to target bloggers as they are journalists –sometimes more so.

Digital has also put an end (thankfully) to things like cutting out press clippings from magazines. It’s PDFs and emailed links all the way.

Expensive product photo shoots and snail-mailing the pics are a thing of the past too. We can get snap happy with our mobiles and post high-quality digital shots on Facebook or Pinterest faster than it takes to book an old-school photographer.

And then there are all the social media platforms. It seems barely a month goes by without another new kid on the block vying for our attention, promising to be the Next Big Thing.

So what does all this have to do with Ferris’ nugget of advice? Well, PR life does move pretty fast. And he’s right – if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Or more specifically, you could miss what’s important.

It’s very easy for communication professionals to get swept along with the latest fads, jumping from social media platform to social media platform, in the never-ending pursuit of effective stakeholder engagement.

But sometimes it’s worth taking a step back and reminding ourselves that for all the wonder of digital, some old-school PR truths remain.

No matter what channel you’re using, you’re going to need a strategy. Thousands of pictures on Pinterest mean nothing if there’s no thought to how this activity supports your business objectives. 

Then there’s the message itself. It should be consistent and truthful – more important than ever in the digital domain, where a quick Google search can reveal any ‘discrepancies’ in your online output. 

And as ever, the content needs to be engaging. It should be of real value to stakeholders. It should interest them. Be useful to them. Excite them, even. 

So in actual fact, we’re still largely doing the same stuff we’ve been doing since the early days of PR. Just without all the envelope stuffing and paper cuts.    

Lut Verschueren 

Labelling the future is a challenge for the label industry, in the face of the exceptional change that is happening on many fronts. A developing palette of label technologies and alternative options; the ‘cloud’ business environment; the urgent need for succession change in SMEs;  making the decision to stay local, serve a specialty market segment, or go international;   maturing geographical markets versus the emerging economies… 

Technology innovation

Technology innovation is changing the face of the entire print industry;  and as commercial print dwindles in the face of downloadable reading matter, packaging print is growing exponentially. It is the key area where the consumer relies on a product’s physical brand image to confirm its quality, reliability, and desirability. Today’s modular presses make it possible to use multiple ‘traditional’ print processes – UV flexo, screen, foil blocking – in the one machine pass – as well as digital print for personalisation, barcoding, etc. What is more, the new-generation digital label presses deliver high-quality print results too; and today’s sophisticated digital pre-press solutions make design, proofing, and even product prototyping fast and easy – even if the client is thousands of miles away. Short-run work and multi-versioning of generic brand labels are now firmly part of a label converter’s remit. There have never been so many options.

Lean and green

At a time when brand owners are concerned to keep costs as low as possible, optimise profits, and still present a ‘green’ image to the consumer, lean manufacturing and sustainable practices must also be central to the label converter’s activities.  

E-commerce has long been a key to the effective running of the relationship between labelstock supplier and label converter, and today’s ‘back office’ at the label converter can be seamlessly integrated with the front end. Using today’s most up-to-date systems, which match those of the customers, is key.

Where next?

Specialisation is one route: there are successful label printing companies serving specialist industries. Alternatively, companies can look to extend their reach from being a ‘local’ supply base, to cross-border trading and, then, an international presence - achieved either independently or as a result of establishing partnerships and alliances with like-minded companies in other countries. Finally, of course, there are mergers and acquisitions – today an area where we are seeing very strong activity.  

Label – the future?

Whatever is to come, the future will still need a label. The intrinsic function of a label is to identify the contents of a package. We have come a long way from the handwritten ‘label’ on a brown paper bag (probably the first example of direct print – a labelling method that still has currency today!) There are wet-glue labels, self-adhesive labels, shrink and stretch sleeves, in-mould labels… and now we can learn about a product through scanning QR code on its packaging.   But we still have to be able to pick the right product from the retail shelf – and only a physical label of some kind can enable us to do that.

Lut Verschueren

Based on article by FINAT.

Two weeks ago we organized a press conference for the industry association EuroWaxPack at the confectionary trade fair ProSweets (Köln, Germany).  Although this was duomedia’s first PR project for EuroWaxPack, the impact has been significant.  Looking back I try to identify the key success criteria and in my opinion it boils down to a lot of common sense, which is unfortunately often astray, even in professional marketing and communication initiatives. So what did we do?

 -        bring (f)actual news from a trustworthy source and embed it in a broader industry-specific context

-        target a selected audience

-        meet editors’ needs and readers’ interest for information

-        select the right place: bring it where the related industry is present

-        select the right moment: bringing a proven story on compostability of wax paper packaging  rather than a ‘greenwashing’ story in moments of relentless pursuit for sustainable solutions and news

-        last but not least: secure a knowledgeable and passionate speaker and bring a short, crisp presentation

Following the press coverage, EuroWaxPack received many direct requests for additional information from the industry. A dream come true for any marketeer. Actual companies seeking better solutions and a scientific ‘benchmark’ for their recycling /sustainable practice and turning to the company that can give that information. The circle is complete.

The appeal of industry associations today reaches beyond ‘old school’ networking only.  A generation shift within a revolutionized information age brings different challenges and demands radical changes: retain members, capture the attention of press, the industry and related partners, demonstrate value and provide access to business critical information. 

There’s your relevance of integrated communication/PR … 

Seminar with RIT Professor Emeritus Frank Romano - duomedia’s Lut Verschueren reports

No badges left at the reception desk in the European Auditorium in Turnhout for Frank Romano’s VIGC seminar on June 21. A packed auditorium and appreciative audience for this well-respected, knowledgeable and entertaining industry guru. He delivers a great review of drupa, and offers an international perspective and unique insight on the trends shaping the printing industry. Sharp, to the point, sweet … and amusingly controversial when stating that Landa’s technology announced at drupa was a great show, just not all that revolutionary. A very refreshing, well-packaged, truly informative session in a time when we all suffer from ‘infobesity.’

The winners and losers

Diminishing print volumes affect the entire printing industry. In the US alone, 50% of print has gone away since 1995. In the current climate of huge technology upheaval, everyone is competing fiercely with one another. And we’re seeing a great shift towards multi-channel marketing. All this has had an impact on print products – some of which will disappear, while new products will emerge and grow.

Another huge change is the demand for short runs (under 2,000 copies). And then there’s the inexorable rise of digital printing – it already enjoys a 15% market share, and this is set to rise as the technology is embraced everywhere.

In commercial printing, the two largest segments are advert/promo (24%) and packaging (15%). The book market is still performing well, but without the big runs. A decline in page count – due to the decrease in advertising – and circulation, means there’s a growing opportunity in digital for periodicals. 

When it comes to catalogues, which encourage recipients to call, click or visit, Romano says there will be a shift toward even greater personalization. And what about the billion-dollar question: will newspapers survive? “Until 2049,” shrugs Romano. As for directories, there is agreement that they will die.

Promotional printing was identified as a growth category (for digital, hence the short runs) and will remain a mainstay of the commercial printer’s output. Direct mail is expected to stick around, but its success depends on the efficiency of postal systems.

Technical documents like manuals and guides are predicted to be on their way out. There is potential, however, for printing legal and financial documents.

The decline in printing of traditional office documentation will continue, but the outlook is brighter in the stationery business, where there are growth opportunities.

Romano describes packaging as “the only area that has no electronic competition” and “the last 12 inches of the marketing program.” He asserts that this market offers huge potential for printers. He also claims that for those bringing viable solutions in film printing for flexible packaging and other applications, a great future lies ahead.

Printers that have embraced large format have discovered new markets. But it is industrial printing that offers the greatest potential. Think textiles, plastics, glass, printed electronics. What’s produced is unique, and people are willing to pay a premium for it.

Romano acknowledged that there is confusion in the market when it comes to print technology, saying there are ‘too many’ alternatives.

He acknowledged that offset people wouldn’t appreciate his view, but stated that in today’s multi-media landscape, digital inkjet is where the world is heading. Today’s printer is evolving into an information-making factory.

Romano expects that while the printing industry will stabilize in 2013, the market will continue to change. “VIGC helps you understand these changes,” he concluded.

Finally, despite the flood of announcements at drupa, Romano believes a lot of news has been held back, and anticipates more PR activity in the fall. If he’s right and there is to be a torrent of PR and marketing initiatives, you can expect duomedia to be at the forefront. Stay tuned!