Marketing Digital

Membership has more than tripled for PIA/GATF's Digital Printing Council (DPC), making it the world's largest digital printing association. As of 2006, DPC became a core service and premiere offering of PIA/GATF, providing its members and the printing industry with informative tools and publications designed to help firms be more productive, efficient and generate more sales with new digital technologies.

“Digital printing is surpassing the conservative estimates we all accepted over the last few years,” says Julie Shaffer, DPC's newly appointed director. “The growth we're experiencing directly reflects what's happening in the industry.”

At the same time that the DPC became a PIA/GATF core service offering, PIA/GATF announced the Year of Digital Print. Among the initiatives supporting the Year of Digital Print are DPC's groundbreaking Marketing4Digital (M4D) research and corresponding educational seminars.

M4D is an extensive research project for providing digital and conventional printers with the information and insight they need to sell their services to 24 specific vertical market segments.

The M4D program underway includes the availability of the first three sets of M4D research focusing on vertical market segments. Set one focuses on Advertising Agencies; Health Care (HMOs, Hospitals); Cruise Industry (Hospitality and Tourism); Department Stores (Retail Trade); Gambling and Wagering (Casinos); Automotive Industry (Manufacturers and Dealers); Insurance; and Real Estate (Brokerages).

Set 2 reports on Gas and Electric (Utilities); Hotel (Hospitality and Tourism); Office Supplies/Home Im-provement (Retail Trade); Banks (Financial Services); Investment Companies (Financial Services); Travel Agencies (Hospitality and Tourism); Telecom (Utilities) and Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, etc.).

Set 3 of the M4D research, just published in time for Graph Expo & Converting Expo, details: Food Services-Wholesale; Food Services-Retail; Associations; Education (Public and Private Higher Education only); Publishing (Magazine and Journal); Pharmaceutical (Drug Manufacturers); and Religious Organizations.

Supporting the M4D research is a continuing series of seminars around the country hosted by PIA/GATF affiliates; to date over 500+ attendees have participated in the seminars and 300+ participants have attended M4D online webinars.

M4D has turned out to be one of the most popular offerings the association has made available to members over the years, says PIA/GATF president, Michael Makin. “M4D research is one of the crown jewels of DPC and PIA/GATF programs,” he says. “The ambitious project was a major and much needed undertaking. Thanks to the dedicated and hard work of the graduate students from RIT and Cal Poly, under the direction of Frank Romano, M4D is providing significant applicable information to help printers to succeed.”

Leading printers are finding the M4D research invaluable for expanding sales and marketing in all areas of print. “We're using the M4D research to understand our current and prospective customers on a deeper level,” says Raymond Lawton, chairman of Lawton Printing, Spokane, WA.

“M4D gives us everything we want to know about our target vertical customers, from who the decision makers and their titles through providing the lingo for their particular industry,” he adds

Printer Cheryl Kahanec, technology and marketing VP at TanaSeybert, New York City, says M4D helps the company “lift its level of sophistication” when selling to a vertical market; offering ideas on how to approach specific markets and detailing proven, successful strategies.

“The key is looking ahead while being in the present; finding the solution that helps customers be successful today. M4D research plays an important role in helping TanaSeybert understand those customer needs,” says Kahanec.

PIA/GATF plans to further extend DPC as a resource to benefit even more members in the year to come.

The organization is announcing at Graph Expo that it plans to move the DPC operations from Alexandria, VA, to its headquarters in Sewickley, PA, and establish a best practices digital business and technology center. Shaffer, with her strong background as head of the Center for Imaging Excellence, will oversee this new center. Additionally, more DPC resources will be offered as part of PIA/GATF basic membership. Additional Premium Programs will also be added. Details will be provided next year.

A key contributor to the group's rapid growth in membership, says Shaffer, has been the execution of the multi-media, cross-organizational campaign supported by the entire association. In addition to using direct mail and e-mail, PIA/GATF's GAIN website, Management Portfolio magazine, and press releases for communications, the DPC is working directly with local PIA/GATF affiliates to promote its offering to all members. Local affiliates are adding information in their magazines, e-mail blasts and even phoning members to summarize the DPC offering and answer questions.

“The affiliates continue to impress all of us,” she says. “They are instrumental in bringing PIA/GATF activities and work to members in a meaningful, grassroots way that members can relate to.”

Shaffer says that PIA/GATF and its affiliates are gratified to continuously have success in anticipating member needs.

“At the DPC, we continue to step up our service offerings, adding significantly enhanced levels of information and products designed to help in every step of digital print adoption, from initial exploration through comprehensive implementation,” she explains. “The mission is to keep pace with the growth of digital printing and continue to educate and support our members by providing them with resources they need to succeed.”

For more information on the DPC, M4D or any of its other programs and resources, visit: www.digitalprintingcouncil.com