PRIMIR 2012 Research Lineup

PRIMIR in-depth research is funded by member dues as well as through support from NPES. PRIMIR provides more than $500,000 in research studies annually to its members, including market statistics and detailed analysis of graphic arts and related fields. Members also benefit from meetings, market research skills building, and networking opportunities.

PRIMIR announced several major research studies underway for the benefit of its members:

E-Commerce & Print Business Models—This study will define the market landscape, segmentation, definitions, and size for e-commerce print providers. It will provide an understanding of the business models, sales and marketing strategies, organizational structure, and service level requirements (in-house or outsourced), shipping practices, and more. (InfoTrends)

Emerging Printing Technologies & Applications—This study will provide an understanding of adjacent product markets that could utilize printing technologies to manufacture such as RFID, security applications, displays, electronic circuits, bio-sensors, and micro printing. The study will explore threats, opportunities, drivers, and barriers as well as applications in the printing industry over the next three to five years. The study will also investigate stages of development and commercialization. The scope of the study is global product development with attention to those that could offer opportunities to the North American printing industry. (Pivotal Resources)

The Impact of Integrated Marketing on the Printing Industry—Recent PRIMIR studies demonstrated the need for a better understanding of integrated marketing and how to secure print’s role. The study will identify the highest growth vertical markets for integrated marketing providing market size, growth rates, trends, and potential for print in their marketing mix. Case studies will be important to showcase printers who have successfully transformed to become integrated marketing service providers. (InfoTrends)

Packaging: Evaluation of Vertical Markets & Key Applications—As part of a continuing series of studies focused on packaging, this study will delve into the primary vertical markets such as food, pharmaceutical, etc., and investigate key trends impacting the various packaging segments. Among other things, it will quantify shipments and growth rates by vertical markets and segments, investigate the role of packaging in marketing and retailing efforts, delve into sustainability and recycling requirements, and evaluate trends in where the package printing/converting is sourced. (Karstedt Associates)

Additionally, PRIMIR is managing the research for two NPES-funded studies that will be circulated to both NPES and PRIMIR members. The first, Defining and Understanding Communication Platforms Trends and Implications to the Print Value Chain, should be published by the end of this year. Identifying and evaluating communication platform choices, trends, related demographic changes, and their impact on future print volume are essential to help firms in the print value chain understand the opportunities and challenges ahead. This study will validate, quantify and explain how these and other factors affect the choices organizations make, who makes the choices based upon what criteria and more. The goal is to provide a roadmap so that members can better position their products and services to meet these changing needs and understand opportunities for new products and services. (J Zarwan Partners & Sherburne & Associates)

The second, World-wide Market for Print: Identifying Global Opportunities for the Print Industry, builds upon a 2006 study published by PRIMIR and will be published in the spring of 2013. This in-depth study will provide global and regional trends across the printing industry, including an assessment of the market size for 51 of the largest markets around the world. The study will provide a macroeconomic analysis for the global printing industry as well as by country, validate existing data from previous work done in 2006 and 2009 that sizes the print market, print products and equipment, consumables and substrates by country, and provide trends, data, and analysis through the next five years. (The Economist Intelligence Unit)