Dana on Marketing Messages: Changing Role Of Print Buyers

Somewhere around 2009, we experienced the birth of MSPs—Marketing Services Providers. That date sticks in my mind, because in November of that year I held a dinner meeting of print buyers here in Boston, as the recession was hitting them smack in the face. The buyers working for agencies were particularly angry that night; many had literally just lost their jobs. We talked about how the printing industry was changing. Specifically, we discussed the printer-as-MSP model (they were against it).

It didn't occur to us then that we were entering an extended period of dramatic change for print buyers, too. In the four years since then, I've watched the role of corporate buyer evolve. It's not done yet.

Last summer I conducted a survey, along with fellow industry consultant John Zarwan, to try and uncover what's changed vs. what hasn't in the role of the professional print buyer. With the information that 315 buyers shared with us, we learned some very significant things about who's buying print today—and what the industry needs to know in order to get in front of these people.

Who's Buying Printing Today?

If I wrote this column five or 10 years ago, I would have talked about buyers in corporate communications and publications departments. They pretty much "majored" in print buying. Their roles would've been defined by their print-centricity, and they'd have been spending most of their time on print-related responsibilities.

Changes in how we communicate with one another, with customers, with prospects and with consumers, as well as the widespread popularity of all sorts of digital media, have impacted professional print buyers in lots of ways. Instead of working mostly in communications departments, we find that a third of print buyers are in marketing, a third are in purchasing or procurement and the final third are distributed among a variety of corporate units, like creative, media, sales, communications/publications, general management and administration.

I happen to think this is good for the "career buyer," who now has a better chance at climbing that corporate ladder (especially if she's in marketing). Buyers who used to be 100 percent print-focused now have to learn new skills and capabilities. This will help their careers.

This is good for the printers, especially if you recognize that the print buying function is spreading out among one or more units in U.S. companies. Printers can (and should) broaden their business development efforts.

In our study, we learned some startling insights about corporate buying behavior. A significant number of buyers who have primary responsibility for sourcing print said that other departments in their firms also purchase print. Printers need to call on a variety of departments and buying centers to ensure they reach all the decision makers.

What Do Print Buyers Do?

Another key finding of our study is that today's print buyer is most likely doing something else in his or her role. Less than 3 percent of our respondents only work with print. About 57 percent of the respondents buy other products and services, and 43 percent of them have some marketing, advertising, or marketing communications responsibilities. A quarter of those surveyed prepare files for printers, and 19 percent have graphic design roles, as well.

There's another reason why printers need to understand buyers' roles today: most print buyers source a wide range of printed products. Ten or more years ago, it was typical for corporate print buyers to handle commercial printing needs—end of story. In 2013, print buyers source a wide range of graphics-related products. This includes offset and digital (of course), posters and signage/display products, POP and POS materials, stationery products, even packaging. The key takeaway for printers is that your customers and prospects should learn about your full breadth of products and services.

Do Buyers Work with Printers Globally?

Most print buyers work with a variety of print providers, sometimes for different work, other times to spread the work around. Those we surveyed typically work with three or more printers, but usually between six and 10.

Those who spend less time working with printers are likely to work with fewer printers than those for whom print buying is an important part of their job function.

It's worthwhile to note that those who work with the most printers are more likely to work with printers close to home, while buyers who work with just a few printers are just as likely to go farther afield.

And despite the option of choosing printers anywhere in the world, most print buyers (69 percent of those surveyed) work with local printers. We defined local as within 50 miles.

Do They Use Web-to-Print Solutions?

The growth of online ordering systems has been one of the major changes in print buying during the past decade. Yet surprisingly few of our survey respondents use an online system to buy print: only a little more than a fourth of them, and only 6 percent most of the time.

We asked a few related questions about Web-to-print, including why respondents did or didn't use this technology. About a third of the buyers indicated that certain products are only available online. Slightly fewer responded that they buy simpler products online, but prefer to (or have to) buy complex products in the traditional and personal manner.

Do Print Buyers Care About Equipment?

Regardless of how well print buyers actually understand the differences between presses, the vast majority of buyers say that they're influenced by a printer's equipment list. A full 73 percent of buyers surveyed said the equipment list definitely influences their decision to work with a printer, while 23 percent said it did so "some of the time." Only 4 percent of the buyers surveyed said that equipment does not influence them.

Printers should need no additional proof that showcasing their equipment—especially their presses, both offset and digital—is an effective marketing idea. Rather than simply featuring the make and model of a press, printers should describe the benefits of the equipment from the customer's point of view.

These are just a handful of the key findings we uncovered in our summer of 2013 print buyer survey. So many other topics were covered, and are discussed in detail in our final report ("The New Print Buyers"), including these: What value-added services do you look for when choosing printers? Do you prefer printers that "just print" or printers that are marketing services providers? Will your annual print budget go up or down this year?

The results of our findings indicate that the role of print buyers in corporate America is evolving, and it's doing so in ways that printers need to understand in order to deliver the products and services that the new buyers need. PI

About the Author

Long regarded as a print buyer expert and trade writer, Margie Dana launched a new business as a marketing communications strategist with a specialty in printing and print buying. She's as comfortable working in social media as she is in traditional media, and now she's on a mission to help clients build customer communities through carefully crafted content. Dana was the producer of the annual Print & Media Conference. Although she's exited the event business, she is still publishing her Print Tips newsletter each week. For more details and to sign up for her newsletter and marketing blog, visit www.margiedana.com.