Basu said, so the interface requirements are not as demanding. “The user is a professional and is much more savvy. The issue is awareness, sales, and marketing. How are print service providrs (PSPs) marketing to this market? If not connected, they lose these opportunities.” It is not enough that PSPs think about products being sold. They must strongly focus on the sales and marketing of the products, Basu said. “Chances are they are already providing services to a local, regional, or national customer. Start with the people you know, and with whom you have relationships, and start testing what you can offer to existing customers.” Dalzell’s customers come from traditional print shops, from photo retailers, and from large and small photo labs. The photo labs transitioned from selling four-by-six-inch photographic prints to putting those images on other products, he said. “As for the traditional print shops, the quality of the printing is now good enough for them to enter the photo market, and what they’re printing is books,” he added. “What my customers need from data are insights into what part of the market they want to concentrate on. They want to know what to focus upon that matches their experience, comfort level, and equipment they already have.” As opposed to photo retailers and photo labs, print shops are extremely capable at production in a timely manner with good quality. Many of these shops view photo books as one more product they can manufacture and sell. The standard photo book product today is a fully wrapped, custom-printed hardcover with high-quality printing and a professional finish, Dalzell said. Those photo books are sold to corporate customers that may use them in brand imaging, general marketing campaigns, and corporate events, he added. Pursuing the corporate market makes sense because the retailers prefer to work with average picture-taking consumers, and the photo labs are targeting the market of professional photographers, he said. Success Isn’t a Snap The photo book business centers on smaller orders. Unlike photo retail establishments and photo labs, both of which are accustomed to short runs, print shops need to find ways to make profits on short-run work. That’s why they are buying high-quality, short-run equipment that lets them build their businesses without having to spend prohibitive sums on technology, Dalzell said. He believes a large percentage of print shops creating photo books aren’t starting new divisions and pursuing new customers. They are generating most Digital Finishing Solutions. Print is always on the move. In dynamic markets, printers need to adapt to new conditions. This is manroland web systems’ focus: You, your business, and your future. Our finishing and workflow solutions for digital printing enable you to develop profitable business models for digital newspaper and book production. manroland web systems Inc., Lisle/IL. www.manroland-web.com For more information, visit PrintingNews.com/10006536 PrintingNews.com Printing News | October 2015 15
Printing News October 2015
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