Canon reports flags ‘untapped opportunities’ for printers

Less than 20% of print service providers (PSPs) are fulfilling the needs of their customers and could do more to support clients with their print requirements, according to a new report published by Canon.

The ‘Creating Customer Value’ Insight Report suggests focuses on the responses of over 230 senior marketing managers working in organisations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
 
Among the key findings in the study was that just one fifth of PSPs are delivering what they customers need, with 80% of respondents saying they would welcome more creative input from PSPs, at a time when they are facing more pressure due to static or declining marketing budgets.
 
Other major findings included that while there has been a shift towards digital marketing, with an average of 46% of marketing budgets being spent on digital communications, print still has a major role to play alongside digital elements.
 
Some 97% of respondents said they used print alongside other marketing modes in their campaigns, with just under half of those surveyed committed to running integrated campaigns featuring some sort of print.
 
There was also appetite for more print marketing, with 30% of communication buyers saying that print would remain important, while some 40% of brand marketers saying they would invest more in print if their marketing budgets were doubled.
 
Furthermore, the potential for combining print and digital in marketing seems to be on the mind of brands, with 86% saying that they would welcome advice on combining print with digital elements for a more integrated approach.
 
In addition, around 80% brands said they would be keen to work with PSPs to develop new ideas to help their campaigns reach target audiences, while 75% of brand marketers want their PSPs to be more consultative.
 
Reflecting on the report, Mathew Faulkner senior marketing manager for EMEA at Canon Europe’s Professional Print Business, said while PSPs are getting the basics right in terms of the service they offer to customers, there is still a gap between what clients want actually want and what is being delivered.
 
“By using each customer interaction as a chance to demonstrate their expertise, PSPs can add value and help brands maximise the effectiveness of print,” Faulkner said. “It’s also an opportunity to prove print’s return on investment by showing them how it can be used to boost engagement or provoke an action at various stages along the customer journey.
 
“By working more collaboratively with their customers and understanding more about their marketing campaigns, print professionals can spot more opportunities and show customers how it can be integrated within wider brand campaigns.
 
“As a result, PSPs will be able to not just fulfil an order but create customer value by going beyond the brief.”