Business Management - Industry Trends

PITTSBURGH—Feb. 25, 2008—PIA/GATFPress is pleased to offer the latest Economics and Market Research Reports—Looking Forward: What’s Next for the Economy and Print Markets in 2008–2009 and Expanding the Print Market Space: Printers’ Diversification into Ancillary Services by Ronnie H. Davis, Ph.D. and Ed Gleeson—to help printers as they face an uncertain economic future. As fears of a recession in the United States loom larger and larger, it is becoming increasingly important for print and graphic communications firms to know what to expect and how best to protect their bottom lines in the coming months. “The Looking Forward report provides a comprehensive analysis

NEWTON, MA—February 25, 2008 – The On Demand Exposition & Conference (www.ondemandexpo.com), the preeminent event for commercial printers, publishers, and in-plant printing professionals, today announced the top production printing trends to watch for in 2008 according to InfoTrends, the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. InfoTrends analysts will address the trends during the On Demand Conference & Expo which will take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center from March 4-6, with tutorials on Monday, March 3, 2008. Each year, InfoTrends analysts consider what key developments are likely to impact the market

BALTIMORE—TV advertising is no longer the leading influencer of purchasing decisions for men 18 and older, as advertising inserts have become the leading medium among not only men but all adults, according to the “Vertis Customer Focus: Decade of Data” study. The Vertis Customer Focus, a proprietary study by Vertis Communications which is marking its 10th anniversary this year, analyzes the key trends behind consumer purchasing behaviors, entertainment preferences and media usage patterns. The “Decade of Data” further underscores television’s perceived dwindling influence: In 1998, 30 percent found it to be the leading influencer of buying decisions, a level that has dropped to 22

NEW YORK—January 22, 2008—In the face of otherwise daunting marketplace challenges—including a substantial postage rate increase, higher raw materials costs and heightened competition from low-cost interactive media—U.S. direct mail spending continued to grow in 2007, climbing 5 percent from 2006 to total $58.4 billion in aggregate investment, according to a white paper released today by Winterberry Group, a leading strategic consulting firm serving the marketing industry. The white paper, entitled Vertical Market Trends in Direct Mail 2008, is the New York-based consulting firm’s fourth annual study of the direct mail sector, inclusive of both mailers and the production service providers who support their campaigns.

The money spent on printed and potentially printed electronics doubled in 2007, as did the number of organizations participating. There are now about 1500 organizations doing significant work, most of them being academic. In 2008, there will be much more emphasis on commercialisation and many more countries will join the fray. New breakthroughs for European conference The leading European conference on printed electronics, the IDTechEx “Printed Electronics Europe” is part of the only global set of conferences on the subject in Japan, China, the USA and Europe. This year it moves from one centre of excellence Cambridge to another, Dresden in Germany. Once again,

Over the past 18 months, a combination of new technologies, postal changes, and market conditions have created an environment in which transaction documents such as statements, invoices, and notifications can be used effectively to generate sales and long-term relationships. Now, companies are starting to use these communications to create ongoing, sustainable customer dialogues that promote products and services in addition to communicating transactional information. This transition is being coined the “TransPromo revolution,” and it is resulting in the use of more attractive, easier-to-understand statements that also encourage buying and other desired behaviors. Key TransPromo Drivers There are four key drivers that make right

Wide-format digital imaging is a booming market. Adding this technology will allow your in-plant to offer a range of new products.

CONTRARY TO “economic consensus” forecasts1 that are merely opinion averages, the United States will outpace 2007 with annual growth exceeding 6.5 percent nominal (3.4 percent real) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through the next two years. Foreign investment, immigration and productivity gains will more than offset exaggerated “crises” like sub-prime mortgages and rises in oil prices.2 Former GE Chairman Jack Welch advises the obvious: “Move up the food chain and stop complaining about the present. If residential ownership weakens, move to residential rentals.” The same applies to printing sales. Migrate to where the markets are hot and to the places and sectors underserved by our

Few industries engage in the kind of symbiotic relation-ship shared by the graphic arts industry and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Consider that, at some point, the majority of printed products are mailed. At the same time, the postal system relies on the printing industry to supply much of its mail volume. The fate of each player depends in large part on the well-being of the other. In this context, the signing of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) in December 2006 was beneficial for the graphic arts industry. It was a move that spelled reform for the postal system that industry

A dual Analog-Digital wristwatch using US E Ink’s electronic paper display technology was recently launched by Art Technology, Hong Kong. The E Ink technology depicts digital time with the look of electronic paper and can be read accurately and instantly from any angle - vastly improving on dull liquid crystal displays (LCDs) that typify previous digital watches. The customizable dial allows the owner to select among styles, from the precise detail of full numerals and indices to the simplicity of no markings all. The Phosphor™ branded luxury watches feature a bold geometry, generously oversized buttons and knobs, and a luxuriously thick strap. However what