Print.IT Reseller - issue 50

01732 759725 22 PRINT key elements of the fourth industrial revolution, such as big data, greater computing power in the cloud and faster processing at devices, to facilitate greater personalisation – “Because we can do it and the market wants it,” he said. A new definition for print At the same time, digital inkjet technology, because it is contactless and can print onto diverse material, including paper, film, tiles, fabric and corrugated carboard, will start making inroads into any industry that uses images. Examples might include: n Packaging – Instead of plain brown boxes sent though the post, postal packaging will be personalised and printed with colourful designs, a transition that Gecht likens to the move from black and white to colour TV; n Fashion – faster industrial fabric printers will enable fashion brands to slash lead times and change colours and designs more quickly; and n Interior design – where ceramic tile printing already offers more scope for personalisation of office and domestic interiors. These possibilities, Gecht argues, have created a new definition of print. “Print is no longer just a document, it is no longer just paper. It is every material in the world that needs a printed image. And that’s a bigger opportunity than we’ve ever had before.” Print beyond paper This prognosis was supported by print industry commentator Frank Romano, who, in a video segment recorded especially for EFI Connect, identified “the embrace of print beyond paper” as one of three ways print providers can ensure continued growth. The other two are: to address defined markets and excel at them; and to cut costs without compromising quality and then reinvest the savings in new technology and capabilities. Adding value Gecht’s rallying cry provided the context for a multitude of new product announcements made over the three days of the conference and neatly tied together the three elements of EFI’s business – digital printers/presses which make up about 50% of revenues; Fiery Digital Front Ends (DFEs), originally developed for office and production MFPs and now driving industrial devices like the Nozomi press and Reggiani fabric printers (25%); and software that automates time-consuming processes to maximise productivity, print quality and cost-efficiency (25%). To address new applications like those outlined above, EFI is using its eco-system to create complete end- to-end solutions for specific market segments, such as digital textile printing and corrugated packaging and display material. These combine EFI print devices and Fiery servers with industry-specific software features to automate the entire process, from concept design to delivery of a finished product. Gecht points out that the level of automation and control these solutions provide is an eye-opener to people who have not used them before. “A lot of what we take for granted in the document market is more advanced than what is available in other markets. We are applying Fiery to new markets and adding value,” he said. One response to changing customer requirements is to invest in new technology that lets you personalise mail, integrate it with digital media and diversify into new business areas Crossmedia Marketing Another new product announced at Connect 2018, EFI MarketDirect, extends the company’s advocacy of personalisation to businesses of all sizes, whether they acquire it independently or consume it as a service provided by a third party. A replacement for EFI DirectSmile, EFI MarketDirect is a complete platform that integrates all the elements needed to create, publish, track, sell and distribute personalised communications. The first components to be launched are the cross-media solution EFI MarketDirect CrossMedia 8, which makes it easier than ever for users to customise and personalise both document design and delivery method (web, email, print, mobile, social media), and the VDP composition and workflow engines, MarketDirect VDP and MarketDirect VDP Enterprise. The benefits of personalising customer engagements are well known, including up to a 50% reduction in customer acquisition costs, a 5-15% lift in revenue and a 10-30% increase in marketing spend ROI (source: McKinsey & Co). In a new survey by Epsilon, 90% of respondents said they find personalisation appealing, with 80% conceding that they are more likely to do business with a company that personalised their engagement. Two thirds are willing to hand over personal information in exchange for offers, recommendations and discounts. In the past, creating personalised campaigns was such a complex process that it was usually only attempted as part of a strategic marketing campaign with long lead times and an allocated budget. EFI Product Marketing Manager Aaron Tavakoli claims that EFI MarketDirect CrossMedia 8 is so simple it removes this obstacle. “It lets you be more reactive, decide to do something on the day and bring personalisation to every engagement with customers rather than purely on a long-term strategic basis,” he said. It does this through a number of features designed for use by marketing professionals with no programming skills and no time for extensive training. These include: n a campaign wizard and workflow manager that guides users through the most common campaign types; n customisable templates that save time by allowing users to re-use digital assets created for other campaigns; n a storyboard feature that lets users build a campaign in just minutes using simple drag and drop tools; and n a dashboard where marketing professionals can view and compare data relating to each campaign, such as opening and response rates. Tavakoli added that while similar solutions tend to include print as an afterthought, EFI CrossMedia can be fully integrated with EFI web-to-print solutions. ...continued...