{"id":277,"date":"2019-03-26T12:00:16","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T16:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.konicaminolta.ca\/?p=277"},"modified":"2021-04-29T10:36:19","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T14:36:19","slug":"variable-data-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.konicaminolta.ca\/en\/variable-data-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"Variable Data Printing: The Power of Personalization"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first digital printing press was introduced by Benny Landa in the early 1990s.\u00a0 Since then, digital printing devices have come to penetrate every corner of the market \u2013 everything from cut sheet pages to wide format signage. As a byproduct of this new digital era, two new market opportunities have presented themselves – one, the introduction of cost-effective short-run printing and two, variable data printing (VDP).<\/p>\n

Unlike short-run printing, which widened an existing market and thus was quickly adopted by commercial printers, variable data printing has proved a much larger hurdle for commercial printers and to this day remains a relatively untapped market opportunity.<\/p>\n

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Why the Lack of Adoption?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The short answer? Complexity. Variable data printing involves complex databases and intelligent market information. For the printer, it also involves a modified workflow and additional investment. The long answer, however, is that VDP is typically attached to a marketing campaign and that responsibility is rarely assigned to the commercial printer.\"Coke<\/p>\n

Taking on marketing functions as a print operation can be a daunting task. There are a number of new and unfamiliar questions that printers must grapple with: is my data clean? Is my messaging relevant? How do I deliver the materials? How do I price a value-added product? How do I manage the creative cycle? Etc., etc., etc.<\/p>\n

Having said this, companies like Vista Print have become hugely successful based on their ability to provide clients exactly what they need in whatever quantity they desire. In this case, however, the data is primarily client-driven with just a few suggestive tips provided by the printer.<\/p>\n

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What Better Time Than Now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I suggest the time has come for increased adoption of variable data printing. The consumer demand is already present, and is projected to grow at a consistently high rate in years to come; Stratistics MRC<\/a> projects that the VDP market will grow at a CAGR of 18.2% between now and 2026. For successful adoption to occur however, printers will have to increasingly engage with consumers and those providing goods to consumers.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s review some of the more well-known instances of VDP implementation so we can better understand how these capabilities can be mobilized for success. On the product side, corporate marketers have embraced the notion that personalized products increase market-share. Nutella offers a great example of their successful use of VDP in this short YouTube video:<\/p>\n

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