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Print does not universally apply to every company, marketer, communicator, or campaign. However, its enduring strengths and strategic relevance make it a vital (if selective) component of modern communication strategies.
As print becomes more costly and increasingly positioned as a specialty product, it’s more important than ever to understand where and when it fits. No longer can we treat print as a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, success depends on a highly customized approach tailored to each print buyer’s unique situation.
Understanding “fit” means going beyond simply selling products or applications. It requires uncovering the strategic context behind the communication. Leading with products/applications may inadvertently limit opportunities and eventually reduce communicators/marketers’ ROI by missing the real opportunity to find where and when print fits the best.
Start With the Strategy, Not the Specs
To identify where and when print fits, print service providers (PSPs) must first explore:
- Who is my customers’ target audience?
- What message needs to be communicated?
- How has communication been handled in the past; what worked, and what didn’t?
- When is the ideal time and frequency to engage?
- Why is this communication necessary?
Only after building this comprehensive understanding can a PSP confidently recommend the appropriate print products and applications. This approach positions print not merely as a medium, but as a strategic asset within a broader communication mix.
Strategic Print: A Role Beyond the Product
While this perspective may echo the past push for PSPs to become marketing service providers, the focus should be more concerned about being strategic allies. PSPs don’t need to become full-service marketers. However, they do need to think and act more tactically in how they support their clients’ communication objectives of capturing attention, being relevant, as well as making it easier for people to buy while activating the benefits of “word of mouth” marketing.
Print professionals—salespeople, marketers, owners, and managers alike—already engage in marketing through their own promotional and sales practices. They’re not only promoters and sellers, but also recipients of marketing. This dual perspective gives them a unique opportunity to elevate the conversation with clients by focusing on purpose and impact, not just paper and ink.
The Power of Conversation
PSPs must also lean into their expertise—not just in print production, but in marketing experience. By initiating conversations around the “Who, What, How, When, and Why” we mentioned earlier, they move from being vendors to valued partners. This consultative, insight-driven approach is imperative to grow and allows print to claim its rightful place as a powerful, results-driving channel in marketing communication. It’s how brands become more effective. It’s how PSPs deliver real value. And it’s how both grow together.
Print + AI: The Next Level of Value
Finally, there’s a growing opportunity to enhance this strategic approach through artificial intelligence (AI)—not just in production, but in supporting and implementing customer marketing tactics. Whether it's through predictive analytics, campaign optimization, or personalized messaging, AI can help PSPs better align their offerings with client needs and create more compelling, measurable results.
Stay ahead in the ever-evolving print industry by browsing our Industry Reports page for the latest insights. Log in to the InfoCenter to read more about marketing trends through our On Demand Printing & Publishing Advisory Service. Not a subscriber? Contact us for more information.
