Shaun’s Corner (Expanding Your Display Graphics Business)

By Shaun Meany
President, The PEiR Group

On the road recently in New York, Boston and Paris I see wide format color everywhere.

In airports, train and subway stations, tunnels, escalators, garages, retail shops to hotel elevators, hotel lobbies – all this signage clamoring for attention and all communicating their respective messages. The interesting thing is I am reading them. The size and the appealing graphics have me emotionally involved, I think. They draw my eye and lead to retention of branding and messaging for things, places and activities I may want to buy, visit, or take part in.

To my eye, a convergence is occurring in the wide format printing business. Sign shops, photographic retailers, big box retailers, quick copy shops and reprographers are all beginning to migrate into the grand format display graphics market space.

In light of this, and the opportunity the scenario presents, I find myself writing down a few questions reprographers may need to ask themselves in the days ahead:

• Am I prepared to embrace this market opportunity?

• Can I handle the investment required to be a player in this market? Not just the equipment (aka printers) but the routers, rips and floor space need to produce this stuff. Do I have the color expertise and the sales and marketing personnel to be successful?

What are the risks?

• How long is the window of opportunity going to be open?

• When will the service be commoditized?

• How do I ship or deliver these prints?

• What about installation?

• Are there Web-to-Print software solutions available?

• What are the killer applications?

• Who’s making money? And how are they doing it?

Lastly, but perhaps the most important question of all to ask in the face of this new-found growth in the wide-format printing business is: What can The PEiR Group do to help you prepare and reap the rewards offered by this next growth area in the reprographics?

The answer is a mere phone call or email away. Don’t put it off. We’re waiting to hear from you!

All the best,

Shaun