The shape of things to come
Gordon Neile, managing director,Eurostand Display, a member DISQ Group
Digital continues to affect our everyday lives, a few short years ago the CD was the main music media, the global sales of printed books were rising and magazine title numbers were still increasing; now it is a different story. CD sales in western markets have flopped, digital book sales have outstripped physical book sales in the US and UK and the number of magazines printed decreases by the month.
Digital has a history of structurally changing markets but will it structurally change the sign, display and large-format graphic markets? There is an argument that a digital screen will never replace every large-format print opportunity. A screen will always cost more. Be careful here, ease-of-use and flexibility does sometimes outweigh the cost argument and as print production markets consolidate the cost of print production will increase. However, it is safe to say that the replacement of large-format display graphics with screens for every application will take many years to become a reality, if at all. It is more likely that the two media will increasingly be utilised together.
Where there is a requirement for continuous change of messages or there is a need for interactivity, connected screens have an obvious advantage”
At Eurostand we have traditionally been successful in the supply of products that are carriers for the printed graphic. We realised many years ago that the combination of a product that holds both a printed graphic and a screen would serve a combination of needs. By continuing this philosophy we have created a new range of iPad products and seen a 30 percent increase in month-on-month sales.
The range is based around an iPad holder used in conjunction with Centro free standing display systems that also hold a printed graphic. Key to the increase in sales is the fact that Apple has now sold more than 100 million iPads worldwide and that these products are being increasingly used at events.
Signs and Graphic businesses that recognise trends, threats and opportunities and adapt their offering to fit the digital reality will flourish—think laterally and don’t be left behind.
The future is bright
Steve Nicholas, general manager, Ashby Trade Sign Supplies
The year ahead by all accounts isn’t going to be a very different year than the last few for our industry. Hopefully the trend will be the same as it was in 2012, with more companies taking a professional approach to their business and buying into quality products rather than compromising on price.
It has become apparent over the years of recession that some companies have compromised quality for price to maintain ever-diminishing sales revenues, making it a buyers market”
For the individual company this could be seen as a smart move. For the industry overall it has to be seen as a bad move, because the ‘sell it cheap’ attitude has seen the cost of signage falling, and more and more companies fighting over orders that are worth less and less.
So, is compromise on quality really the answer?
At Ashby we believe not, with quality products backed up with a knowledgeable and an experienced team behind them we believe the future is bright and we are very optimistic for the New Year.
We are expecting our 2013 growth to come primarily from the following three areas. New and innovative products, many of which are planned for launch in 2013. The new back to basics approach we have taken since our move to our new 30,000sq ft production facility situated right alongside the M3 at Basingstoke. And the continued support and custom from our loyal and ever expanding customer base.
With a change of some key personnel, investment in machinery, and a complete overhaul of our internal systems, we are very confident that 2013 is going to be the launch pad for the new and improved Ashby, who for the last 16 years have been serving the sign industry as a trade only supplier.
The motivation for this approach is based on some key trends we expect will continue to develop throughout 2013, chief among these being a steady return of sign-makers to quality suppliers after being failed by those who just sell cheap.
The return of a quality proposition
Andrew Burdett, managing director, Ultima Displays
For the portable display market we see a number of different trends emerging during 2013. The use of technology on stands will be a big focus. We will also be investing more research and development in our technology products, such as our new secure iPad holders for both table top and table mounted options. We have also produced augmented reality and animated videos to help promote and sell our products, and to aid our distributors when demonstrating our products to their end users.
We also see accessories as being an important focus for 2013, they are a great, simple upsell during the course of a phone call. As a result we have expanded our range of accessories, including table tops, literature holders and monitor brackets, which all fit onto traditional types of roller banner stands. These are all small, easy add ons that create value for money for the distributor and their end users.
Another area we view as a new trend for 2013 will be the increasing use of LED lighting to accentuate displays, as well as outdoor products using new and lightweight non-curl textile substrates”
There is no doubt that 2013 will see our already competitive market place continue to become more so, and so something which sets a sign-maker apart from the crowd will help. This is an area we are investing a lot of time and budget into in the form of our new ‘funky’ shaped stands. Our new shape creations go beyond the normal curved and square styles to create visually interesting and eye catching stands that have textile graphic socks fitted around the frame work. These stands are extremely simple to assemble, yet provide a powerful back drop to any stand. The first impressions of customers at our Scottish Road Show and Open Day in December proved very positive, and we have received requests for orders already.
A final growing trend I think will continue strongly in 2013 is an uplift in competitively priced products that encourage easy change replacement media without tools.
A UV state of mind
Stanley Cheng, general manager,Galaxy Printek Europe
The UK economy is still struggling to really find its feet, and this has had a tangible effect on the amount of money which sign-buyers are spending.
The result for many in our industry is that 2013 really has to be about being more creative, effective, efficient, and professional than ever before. Another important factor we are seeing many of our customers feedback to us is the need to produce very high quality large-format graphics that are more environmentally-sustainable. This means that demand for print technologies that use green solutions such as UV-curable ink will continue to rise.
In light of this we have already expanded our range to include a number of UV-flatbed options. This will allow our customers to open up new markets by printing on a range of media such as textiles, glass, wood and acrylics in a variety of formats. UV-curable inks are also becoming increasingly popular because they improve the production environment by reducing the noxious fumes associated with the volatile organic compounds used in solvent printing.
The popularity of UV printing technology is also being aided by the increasing push from businesses and sign/print-buyers for more environmentally-friendly solutions to conform to corporate social responsibility guidelines.
The bottom line is that for 2013, the sign industry needs to think about offering products that are produced quickly to a high-standard and have that added green bonus—all something UV printing offers.”
At Galaxy our motto has always been ‘more for less’ with a focus on adding as much value as we can for the customer. Our own approach to 2013 will be to stay on top of developing trends and extending the most up-to-date products and new services to our customers ahead of the game in a very competitive market place.
