VDP: Web-to-Print In the Real World

All of this presents a challenge both in terms of internal processes and expertise, but also in branding, since customers are resisting acceptance of printers as marketing partners.

In order to successfully sell Web-to-print as anything other than an online store, printers must be able to sell themselves as a source for brand management and marketing support. This transition must go beyond semantics. They must brand themselves as marketing support, with all of the trappings, from marketing and business development experts, expert creative and more. The print portion may still bring in the revenues, but it should be largely transparent to the customer. Currently, very few customers see their printers this way. Unfortunately, few printers do either.