Survey Reveals Marketers Desire High-Tech, High-Quality Printing Capabilities
November 04 2015 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
How do companies maintain a competitive marketing advantage in a
world filled with information overload? Digital media gets a lot of
attention today, but a recent survey reveals printed marketing
materials are a critical resource for corporate marketers.
Virtually all of the marketing executives (99 percent) reported
using printed marketing materials such as direct mail, brochures,
and signs during the last 12 months, and 86 percent used commercial
printers for at least a portion of their print needs.
These were among the key findings from a recent survey1 of
marketing executives conducted by FedEx Office®, a world-class
commercial print provider, and Printing Industries of America
(PIA), the world’s largest graphic arts trade association.
Among other insights: Print quality (92 percent) and the ability
to handle the volume needed (88 percent) were the most important
factors in deciding to use commercial printing providers instead of
in-house resources. Respondents emphasized the importance of
quality, revealing that when choosing a commercial printer they
place more importance on product quality (64 percent) than cost (54
percent).
According to Ron Davis, senior vice president and chief
economist at PIA, the results also indicate that printing services
incorporating advanced digital technologies are providing marketers
with a competitive advantage.
“Today, marketers must nimbly move to take advantage of
opportunities or counter threats,” Davis explained. “That furthers
the need to leverage technology to produce high-quality materials
that can be scaled to meet rapidly-evolving demand.”
Advanced Technologies Make a Difference
As printing capabilities evolve, marketers are increasingly
interested in tapping technology-rich external resources. Nearly
half of respondents (48 percent) find “cloud” printing to be useful
in simplifying the ordering process. Beyond their interest in the
cloud, 42 percent of survey respondents said it would be useful to
have access to advanced technology for color printing, and 35
percent want the ability to digitally manage their print orders –
capabilities that may not be readily available internally.
“The survey confirms that marketing organizations must execute
and deliver large-scale, complex commercial printing projects with
the same reliability as smaller projects,” said Aimee DiCicco,
senior vice president of sales, FedEx Office. “That’s why FedEx
Office strives, every day, to apply our expertise in operations,
digital technology and logistics to deliver any job on time, within
specifications and to the locations desired.”
More often, quality is a challenge when dealing with internal
printing resources (53 percent) as compared to commercial printers
(40 percent).
"It was interesting to see respondents were much less likely to
report product challenges when using commercial printers compared
to in-house print resources," said DiCicco. “That undoubtedly is a
result of providers such as FedEx Office offering innovative and
efficient printing networks, expertise in color matching from
high-quality technology such as our Canon printers, and reliable
distributed print network.”
For more information about FedEx Office and Printing Industries
of America, visit www.fedex.com/office and www.printing.org.
1 FedEx Office and Printing Industries of America conducted a
seven-minute phone survey among 402 marketing executives regarding
business printing, with a focus on print needs and distribution
efficiencies. The survey was fielded September 11-19, 2015, with a
margin of error of +/- 4.89% at the 95 percent confidence
level.
About FedEx Office
FedEx Office has more than 1,800 stores and locations in the
U.S. and Canada, providing convenient access to printing and
shipping expertise with reliable service. The company’s network
features retail stores, centralized production centers, corporate
on-site print centers, and on-site business centers at hotels,
convention centers and universities. Services include digital
printing, professional finishing, document creation, direct mail,
signs and graphics, copying, computer rental, free Wi-Fi and
corporate print solutions. In addition, the company offers FedEx
Express® and FedEx Ground® shipping, Hold at FedEx Location, and
packing services backed by the FedEx® Packing Pledge. For more
information, please visit fedex.com/office.
About Printing Industries of America
Printing Industries of America is the world’s largest graphic
arts trade association, representing an industry with approximately
one million employees. It serves the interests of thousands of
member companies that offer a range of services beyond printing,
including fulfillment, mailing, database management, cross-media
campaign execution, and Web storefronts. With local affiliated
associations, it delivers services and products that enhance the
knowledge, growth, and profitability of members through advocacy,
research, education, and networking. To find a PIA member printer,
visit www.printaccess.com.
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FedEx OfficeAmanda Taylor,
469-980-3254amanda.taylor@fedex.com
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