Finally, I'm Going to Kick the Ball!

Typical print sale models are like Charlie Brown sitting at his desk while the teacher goes “wha wha wha”. You don’t want to hear it and you tune it out. Print today is sold as a commodity just like everything else. Margins have shrunk and volume is down. More importantly for the design/agency community control of print has all but vanished. You are Charlie Brown and the purchasing department at your client is Lucy holding the football (your print project). You want to kick it, you have good reason why you want to kick it and no matter what you do, there seems to be no way you will. From a purchasing point of view it makes complete sense. Why should I pay you to manage print and pay for it and your mark-up? So now we know the problem, today’s economy has put price in front of quality. You worked tirelessly with your team to create extraordinary graphic designs and then at the last and most crucial step, execution, it is ripped away from you and you fly through the air and land helplessly on the ground. AAUGH!!!!

Hey, we are smarter than Charlie Brown aren’t we? We know the problem, now lets address it and fix it. Taking FULL control of the project is possible. There is not a purchasing agent in the world that would turn down a value proposition that also controls cost. Technology is the answer. Using it is the trick. If you can eliminate almost all prepress costs and never see another file prep alteration charge would you? If your answer is yes, we should talk. Today’s technology makes this possible. Technology alone is not enough; it needs to be used correctly and efficiently. I would love to fly a plane but I guarantee you would not want to be there when I land. I wouldn’t either, but with a trained instructor sitting with me and having some control, I would eventually be able to do it. Using technology for print production is much the same. You don’t want to crash but if you have someone to teach you what to do you will succeed.

Today, printers should be supporting their clients in the use of technology not only for print but also for all forms of communication. Targeted marketing programs that are defined and measured, purl campaigns, email blast, and soon, mobile device tools. These are all part of the communication channels available to advertisers. Your value proposition to clients is to handle the whole project. You need partners who want the same.