Anti-crisis strategy: high technologies in the arsenal of printing houses

Before the crisis, more than three hundred printing companies of various sizes operated in Kyiv. The rapid development of credit programs, leasing schemes, and ever-increasing demand led to the fact that most Ukrainian printing houses were equipped with the latest technology. “Only the lazy did not buy expensive modern printing equipment, so the next step in our development was increased service and customer focus,” says Pavel Dubrovin, development director of the Wolf group of companies. Thus, print quality has ceased to be a competitive advantage, and the level of service in printing enterprises has gradually leveled off. Since equipment and consumables are purchased abroad, the final cost is tied to the dollar exchange rate, so it is extremely difficult for competing firms to play in price wars. “How to stand out in a highly competitive market?” was the question that the owners of the Wolf printing house always asked themselves. Having weighed all the pros and cons, management relied on the use of innovative printing technologies.

Competitive know-how

Installation of new equipment made it possible to expand the range of services provided, including printing on film and plastic with hybrid and UV inks, finishing printed products with hybrid varnish, and metalFX technology. Traditionally, post-printing finishing is carried out in many printing houses using additional equipment; in the Wolf printing house this operation is done “in line”, that is, on one machine. The advantages of this process are expressed in the acceleration of delivery of finished products, the absence of additional transportation and adjustments, which ensures high quality post-printing finishing. Unlike traditional finishing methods, hybrid varnishing is capable of conveying the smallest details; it does not “run” across the sheet, but lies “pixel by pixel,” enhancing the necessary elements with matte varnish and highlighting the necessary elements with glossy varnish, and the ability to convey halftones in varnish simply enlivens the picture. For example, an image of crocodile skin printed on cardboard using hybrid technologies is difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

Any advertising printed product (booklet, brochure, flyer) can be assessed according to several parameters. The product must attract attention and the consumer must have a desire to pick it up. Equally important is what will be done with this material next - will it go to the trash bin or will the consumer take it with him? According to Mr. Dubrovin, by all criteria, hybrid printing has positive results. “Consumers don’t raise their hand to throw away beautifully designed printed products,” he notes.

Hybrid principle

Any manager planning his advertising budget, wants to know the answer to one question - how much the end client will cost him. Using hybrid printing technology in an advertising campaign will certainly cost more than printing products without finishing. So, for example, double-sided full-color printing of a thousand A4 leaflets with hybrid varnish will cost about 2.4 thousand UAH. However, the use of traditional finishing options, combining matte and glossy effects, will cost even more, not to mention the delivery time of the finished product.

In addition, the game will be worth the candle if you work out the target target as much as possible during the advertising campaign audience and exclude unpromising contacts. “We are not trying to sell our clients shockingness or exclusivity, but provide a tool for promoting their own business,” says Mr. Dubrovin. “We are interested in ensuring that the client, having applied our developments, gets the maximum effect and uses our technologies in the future.”< br>

By the way, we ourselves have tested the technology for promoting the hybrid and our services. Conveying the benefits of the new technology to customers proved challenging at first. You can appreciate the advantages of hybrid printing only by holding the product in your hands. Wolf, which has been operating on the market since 1993, has a long history of regular customers, and most of them do not come to the printing house, but send electronic files intended for printing. Thus, immediate managers - business owners often do not see printed materials. The product arrives at the warehouse and catches the eye of the storekeeper and, possibly, the manager. To convey a new innovative service to managers, the printing house launched a campaign called “Glamourhybrid” glamourhybrid.com.ua. On some of the products ordered by the client, the printing house performed finishing using hybrid technology at its own expense. Twenty clients who received non-standard printed materials as a bonus were so amazed by the new technology that the next batches of products were ordered using hybrid varnishing!

The use of hybrid printing technologies already brings 20% of orders from the Wolf printing house ", one of the ten largest printing enterprises in Kyiv. “In the market we are considered extreme businessmen, because in the midst of the crisis the founder of the group