The Increasing Importance of Data Security for the Printing Industry

The talk of data security might seem like something designed for a business that revolves around digital assets — not print. While those digital businesses are certainly taking all the steps listed in our recent data security article, the reality is that print is very much becoming a data-heavy business.

SG360° has started seeing more data-driven business coming through the doors, to the point where it is now a separate service the business offers. Erik Haugen, vice president of Data & Analytic Services at SG360°, notes, “We work with client data and prospect data, for both B2C and B2B. This is a separate service we offer, but it is usually integrated with the direct marketing development and production we handle for our clients.”

The same is true for Quad, which has seen an explosion of applications that all require data management in some form. The company’s vice president of Advanced Media and Innovation, John Puterbaugh, notes, “As a marketing experience company, we work with brands across multiple industries to streamline their marketing processes so they can create more powerful consumer connections. That means we ingest a wide range of data — from audience demographics to logistical data points — and we offer services that leverage it in a wide variety of ways.”

What are some of the ways commercial printers are using often-sensitive data in today’s world beyond the obvious direct application on a specific job? For both Quad and SG360° these can include things such as:

• Audience analysis and profiling
• Omnichannel campaigns
• ROI metrics
• Billing and financial reporting
• Tracking and reporting job progression
• Mailing, freight, and distribution information
• Postage optimization

And those are just a few — that list is constantly growing and companies find more and more ways to capture information about their users and clients, and then seeking ways to apply that knowledge back to their marketing efforts.

But for as many challenges as data management and security can bring up, there are major benefits as well.

“Data enables us to ultimately drive both efficiency and effectiveness for our clients, resulting in lower costs and improved performance,” Puterbaugh notes. “In the print industry, using data to optimize postage and other distribution and determine which audiences to target on what channel and when has become table stakes.”

That is echoed by Haugen, who says, “Helping clients understand as much as possible about their customers, the markets in which they operate, and how to optimize their direct marketing efforts [is rewarding]. It’s extremely rewarding to watch clients experience that ‘aha!’ moment when they learn something new about their business that will lead to future success.”

Both point out that perhaps the biggest obstacle many commercial printers face when it comes to ramping up their efforts around data is having the right infrastructure in place to manage it, as well as the right people who understand those systems. But with the challenging labor market the industry is grappling with right now, finding people with the right abilities to handle data can be an additional challenge.

“Not having the skillsets to manage different types of data and deliver these results can be a huge limitation,” Puterbaugh says. “Skilling up can be tricky, though, because the skills required vary depending on whether you are using data to optimize workflow, improve direct marketing, place media, build customer journeys, or do a myriad of other tasks.”

As for the systems themselves, as Haugen points out, it isn’t something that can be done well with a small budget if you aim to control it all in-house. “One big obstacle is funding the infrastructure needed to build the capabilities,” he notes. “Companies can waste millions of dollars investing in data before they’re fully prepared.”

Don’t let the daunting task of managing and securing data stop you from making that shift in your business. Data is already a cornerstone of modern life, and it will only continue to become more critical as time goes on. Taking the time now to invest in the infrastructure, hire and train the right people, and develop strong data security protocols will set your business up for a profitable future.