Local Print Buyer Study Outlines a Positive Approach for Long Island Printers

The prognosis for the printing industry and particularly the companies on Long Island has not been good, yet a group of local printers took action.

Determined that they needed to see new facts and a broader view of new business opportunities, they sponsored a comprehensive six-month multi-client marketing research study, conducted by Partner Providers Inc., a New York-based marketing and business development firm.

The goals of the study were simple: To conduct both primary and secondary research to provide the sponsors new ideas, tactics and strategies from which they can determine market metrics and develop and launch a credible business development campaign.

A major focus of the study was aimed at investigating and addressing the key factors contributing to the loss of local business to out of state print suppliers while examining the current level of awareness and interest in emerging business issues, such as sustainable print sourcing, the distribute and print models, Web-to-print procurement and localized print sourcing.

The study also aimed at creating the foundation for a new value proposition to strengthen the region’s business base and gain a greater understanding of customer perceptions, practices and roles in the process of print procurement especially related to local print suppliers.

Partner Providers first conducted extensive desk research of existing literature and online databases including Lexis-Nexis, Ebsco, InfoTrac and other sources of information. The desk research sought to uncover data on emerging trends and answers to key research questions such as: What percent of print purchasing is sourced off Long Island and what is the impact of long distance transportation of the final printed materials to our region?

A lack of available information that was specific to Long Island businesses confirmed the need to conduct primary research on regional customers.

The task was undertaken using a Delphi Internet-based poll sent to more than 2,500 contacts that Partner Providers had identified as matching the business demographic model developed during the preliminary stage of the project. The target list of clients included graphic designers, corporate print buyers, marketing managers of various levels, corporate responsibility officers and “C” level titles, located within a 125-mile radius of the sponsor base.

The survey instrument chosen also provided an opportunity to conduct a follow-up survey allowing respondents to review a summary of all responses in relation to theirs and comment further on their initial responses and those of their peers.

The results provided a few surprises to the study organizers. For example, they discovered that the print buying model has changed and the components of a purchase decision had evolved to include many current issues of our industry, such as sustainability, and other “green” practices, as well as such common needs as quality, support, the ability to offer a complete range of services and the need to believe that the print provider is financially stable. When linked together these topics provided an in-depth look into the mind and desire of print buyers at all levels.

Proximity to the Client

The survey indicated that while the overall market was weak, the actual percentages of print-related spending for the region is expected to stay the same or increase in 2010. Local print buyers indicated that the majority of all print material was printed within 100 miles of where it was produced based on factors such as ease of doing press OK’s, lower shipping costs, better control and environmental concerns. In addition, customers would consider a local printer based on several important factors including:

• Print quality
• Dependability and reliability
• Speed and turnaround times
• Ability to receive files over the Web

Surprisingly, the research revealed that the vast majority of print buying professionals would consider suppliers outside the current supplier pool and a significant segment proactively seek new print vendors. Personal and business networking events ranked highest as venues for finding new suppliers.