Like a Fine Wine

One of the fastest modes of printing, digital gets better with age

June 2009 By Melissa Busch

multipage

“Kodak’s digital printing solutions serve customers across a range of segments within the graphic communications market including commercial printing, data centers and publishing for applications such as direct mail, books, transactional documents and photo books,” Joyce went on to say. “Kodak solutions help print and marketing services providers differentiate themselves through personalized communications and one-to-one marketing.”

Though Prodigital Printing is about improving and offering the up-to-the-moment technology, the company also focuses on the tried and true. Prodigital Printing offers full-color digital printing on NexPresses; full-color offset printing on Hamada DCPS (a traditional offset press with a near-line direct-to-plate system); black-and-white digital printing; two-color offset printing on Hamada presses; web-to-print; full-service lettershop & fulfillment, variable data printing (VDP); application development; webinars; and a host of other services.

“While we are seeing significant growth in the more technologically advanced products and services, and in spite of the industry buzz, we still derive the majority—approximately 60 percent—of our revenue from static, short-run, quick-turn commercial printing,” Doehler stated. “Items such as sell sheets, postcards, brochures, etc.”

When it comes to a competitive edge, it’s hard for Prodigital Printing to pin down just one reason. Doehler asserted there are several factors that help them stand out among other digital printers. For instance, automated workflow allows the company to turn jobs around very quickly and accurately; his staff is knowledgeable and experienced with VDP; Prodigital has end-to-end production capabilities, from creative design to lettershop and/or fulfillment; and the team has an enthusiastic willingness to assist distributors in pursuing opportunities they uncover.

For Kodak the answer is easy.

“Kodak is the only company that offers blended conventional and digital solutions within a unified workflow,” Joyce enthused. “We deliver the most complete continuum of digital print solutions providing offset class output.”

But when these professionals look into their crystal balls, what do they see for the future?

Doehler encouraged everyone to “believe the hype.”

He added: “As long-run volume continues to recede, a significant portion will continue to be transferred to digital equipment.”

Joyce took it one step further. He explained through techniques such as VDP, versioning and color, digital printing delivers greater levels of personalization to reach targeted audiences, thereby, helping to increase response rates and improve the return on investment of multimedia campaigns.
 
“Digital technologies will increasingly allow print service providers to become even more valuable to their customers as marketing service providers, with solutions such as KODAK INSITE Campaign Manager to measure and adjust campaigns for maximum response and revenue,” Joyce continued. “Digital print makes it possible to move from mass communication to mass customization.”  

Though the current economic recession is slowing business down for many companies, it’s not hurting Prodigital. Doehler noted that the company is growing and actually hiring as a result of the shaky economy.

“As end-users look to streamline and focus on their core businesses, we have seen additional work coming in as a result of discontinued in-house print operations,” he observed.

And though business is moving in the right direction, Doehler added, there is always room for improvement. The company is continuously refining its pricing structure to ensure that it remains sufficiently profitable while offering distributors a price point that enables them to win the business they quote on, he said. He expected this process to remain in place as the marketplace for his products and services continues to mature.

Doehler ended on this note.

“If I could leave all distributors with a single thought it would be that we are all right smack in the middle of an opportunity renaissance,” he explained. “As print buyers look to save money, improve processes and work “greener,” we are collectively well situated to make win-win deals; the holy grail for sales professionals. Very few buyers still have the ‘we’re all set with vendors’ attitude, so distributors should remember the old sales mantra: ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get.’”

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