Anyone outside of the printing industry may not have a full perspective as to how the industry and printers themselves are evolving.  Adaption to change is essential for printers’ survival right now and one major adaption taking place is the transition from being just a print provider to becoming both a print and marketing service provider. The process of working with a printer has grown to be much more than just placing and fulfilling an order. Printers are now more customer-oriented than ever and becoming more like a partner than a vendor.

This type of partnership is possible because printers are learning about different kinds of media so they can provide customers with cross channel marketing/media solutions and not just keep them limited to print. These other types of media include email, personalized url’s (PURL’s), and social media, all of which work together in harmony in multichannel integrated campaigns. Campaigns are tailored to clients depending on their vertical market and specific need(s). Printers do recognize that print is not necessarily the only means of communication anymore and are now integrating a variety of media and cutting-edge technology with print.

Of course with more channels involved, it’s necessary to make sure the message is clear and consistent and achieves the objective across the board. This cross channel marketing may last for a few months and may even involve multiple phases. This is where printers have stepped in to take on the role of marketing service provider. They are the ones who develop and execute these campaigns from start to finish and keep track of results and ROI. Most have even created in-house marketing teams to help with this new aspect of the business. Printers have made it possible to have a one-stop shop for print and marketing services.