{"id":3391,"date":"2023-09-05T08:20:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T23:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/?p=3391"},"modified":"2023-09-05T08:20:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T23:20:00","slug":"drupa-2024-looking-back-to-look-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/drupa-2024-looking-back-to-look-forward","title":{"rendered":"drupa 2024 - Looking back to look forward"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Having started my lifetime career in print during the 1980s, I have seen so much incredible transformation in technology both specific to print and in our everyday lives. Moving to work for HP almost 20 years ago certainly gave me a new perspective. Heading up the marketing team, we created a marketing campaign to excite commercial printers to attend drupa, titled \u201cHow to Sell more Print to more People\u201d.  Nearly two decades later, I\u2019m taking a trip down memory lane to look at the predictions we made back then, how they\u2019ve been realised far beyond anything we imagined, and why we should be excited for drupa 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 1: How to prepare for the future \u2013 quality is key
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The scope for creativity in today\u2019s print is truly astonishing. One brand setting an example for high-end, emotive print is BAFTA. We spoke to print editor Toby Weidmann to see how BAFTA used the power of print to create a personalised programme for each attendee which would remain with them as a meaningful keepsake long after the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBAFTA\u2019s 11,000-plus members are some of the most creative people working in film, games and television, so it\u2019s important to us that we try to at least attempt to replicate that level of innovation,\u201d Toby told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

London-based printer FE Burman produced a remarkable total of 5,550 programmes for the four award ceremonies \u2013 remarkable because each individual programme was given a distinctive, one-of-a-kind cover using algorithmic software HP Spark. Today, print is far from being just a means of production; its versatility and creative innovation allows the creation of high-quality, luxurious products \u2013 perfect for BAFTA who wanted a programme which reflected the standards of the talent they represented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The creative decision to use an algorithmic process to create so many unique covers was also purpose driven. \u201cImproving diversity in the screen industries is a vital part of BAFTA\u2019s mission as an arts charity,\u201d Toby explained. \u201cHP Spark allowed us to highlight the individual, represented by all the different covers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today having a brand purpose or mission is essential as it is a key driver in consumers\u2019 purchasing decisions. But how do brands reach those consumers to communicate their mission? According to a recent study by Two Sides, print is still the most effective method!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Despite nearly 3.5 billion emails being sent per day, the study reveals that consumers are much more likely to absorb information from printed communications over digital, with 78% of UK consumers claiming they do not pay attention to online ads at all. With an abundance of digital content arriving in consumers\u2019 inboxes every day, it\u2019s likely that we\u2019ll see an even stronger shift towards printed marketing in future as consumers seek content that puts quality over quantity and allows them time away from their devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just the overwhelming quantities of digital content constantly demanding our attention which are steering consumers towards print, but the element of trust which print will always be able to offer over digital. Two Sides have discovered that 71% of UK consumers have concerns about the safety of their personal information online, and 69% keep hard copies of their important documents as they feel this is the best way to keep them secure. Furthermore, 88% believe they should be able to choose whether to receive digital or printed communications.  Keeping documents and memories safe was a key attribute for print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 2: How to be yourself - personalisation of the complete brand<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We know print allows us to connect with our audience through personalisation, and one brand that nails this is quirky chocolate brand, Tony\u2019s Chocolonely. Personalisation is one of the manifold benefits of digital print, especially when we let customers take a hands-on approach using web to print software. Tony\u2019s Chocolonely have mastered the art of blending digital with print by allowing their customers to design their own chocolate bar wrappers using their online design platform \u2013 a service enjoyed by both private customers for personalised gifting, and by brands for corporate events. Not only does this strengthen the emotional connection between brand and customer, but also subtly yet effectively draws focus to their plastic-free, eco-friendly packaging. At a recent event where Tony\u2019s Direct were a key note speaker, Sales Managers for the UK, Hannah Groom, explained that personalisation is \u201ca big strategic focus and continues to be, not just for revenue growth but for brand awareness and awareness of the message about what we stand for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But how does personalised packaging help with brand awareness? Tony\u2019s have cracked this too \u2013 their chocolate bars are shaped in such a recognisable way that visual branding on their packaging is not necessary. Tony\u2019s are on a mission to end the unfairness across the chocolate trade, and they represent this through the design of their chocolate bars with their iconic uneven segments \u2013 leaving their customers free to unleash their creativity on their packaging and enjoy a memorable brand experience whilst maintaining constant awareness of the brand\u2019s social mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 3: How to change things at the click of your fingers (or a mouse)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

20 years ago, we thought \u201cchanging things at the click of your fingers\u201d was just an expression, but now that we have smartphones, tablets and other touch-screen gadgets which make our internet browsing so much faster, the saying has come true and removed any need for a mouse at all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucy Swanston, Managing Director of advertising agency Nutshell Creative, has first-hand experience of the benefits of print marketing and personalisation of products, and tells us: \u201cNothing has changed in the sense there is no escaping anything printed. Its elegance, beauty, practicality, social impact, and reliability remains. Creativity in print has evolved hugely and allows designers to let loose at more affordable costs.\u201d Lucy\u2019s creative agency, Nutshell, supports brand directors and those in the print industry to target and attract new customers as well as grow their existing accounts through collaboration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucy emphasises that there has always been a demand for print, and always will be, whether it\u2019s the easy-to-digest nature of tangible textbooks on students\u2019 school desks, or the all-important ingredients labels on food and medicine. Despite the instant access we now have to endless information online, humans will always maintain a need for haptic connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award-winning national charity Lucy founded, Topic Heroes, supports children\u2019s literacy using print and is a prime example of this physical connection between consumer and product. Topic Heroes allows children to use educational resources to research a topic of their choice, then write their own personal book of which they then receive their very own printed copy to treasure. With the promise of a tangible reward at the end which can be kept forever, children are highly motivated to put in the work of researching and learning through the online tools. These online printing solutions allow us to take the best of both worlds and change the lives of our consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\nThe development of the digital world has only made print stronger, allowing the two methods to work in tandem to create strong connections with audiences. For example, Nutshell worked on a marketing campaign for Cranfield University, with the aim to increase brand awareness among future prospective students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They used cross-media marketing automation, mixing print and digital to make the strongest audience connection. This was backed up by data from JICMAIL which stated that personal addressed mail containing information around a specific event receives a 76% open rate, and that \u201ccareer climbers\u201d will read this mail up to five times whilst it remains in their possession. Of course, as the campaign was aimed towards young people, combining direct mail with online advertising ensured it was seen by as wide an audience as possible. The development of smartphone cameras has given a really easy interface between the static world of print and the online using QR codes, so that Cranfield university were able to track the results in a data driven world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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So, in looking back to look forward we see how print has developed hand in hand with the digital world to be creative, thoughtful, purposeful, trusted and engaging. The predictions that we made 20 years ago have been surpassed and our reality is beyond what we could have imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, today\u2019s future is taking shape as a world of AI. I asked chatGPT what the future holds for print in the new world of communications \u2013 it looks like we are on track to celebrate the future as AI sees it as brightly as we do, with the promise of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n