A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, William Shakespeare wrote several hundred years ago. Branding and marketing have come a long way since then – even in the world of horticulture. Try asking for a rose and there are thousands of varieties to choose from as well as style, shrub or climbing for example. There are even roses that look fantastic but which have no smell. A rose is no longer simply a rose.
The same has happened in recent years to print. A company which a generation ago produced commercial print for customers in its immediate locality on litho presses, will today offer digital printing, will cast its net far and wide for clients thanks to developing a speciality niche or thanks to an interactive online presence. It is not the same business, but it is likely to operate under the same name across all its various sectors. That name comes with baggage and associations that either may no longer be accurate or appealing. In recognition of this, some companies operate under a different name for online trading. The new generation of customers want something funkier than “T Smith & Sons, printers est 1935”.
The car industry understands this. Mass car makers moving into the luxury end of the market are choosing names with no past associations. Thus Lexus is really a Toyota, DS, a Citroen and Genesis, a Hyundai. A new brand can create its set of expectations and customer experience. Volkswagen built the luxury Phaeton car, but failed partly because it could not shed its past as the Beetle builder. Printers know that the market for print is becoming more diversified, more segmented; they experience that in shorter runs to address specific audiences. The time may be right for printers to create separate identities to meet the expectations of new customers for print in different sectors. Few outside the immediate business will care that Theodore Smith started the business in 1935. They want to buy from a company that is aligned with their outlook and that understands the issues they face, and with respect to an 80-year-old family owned print business, that may not be great grandfather Theodore.
How to win the name game to win business
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, William Shakespeare wrote several hundred years ago. Branding and marketing have come a long way since then – even in the world of horticulture. Try asking for a rose and there are thousands of varieties to choose from as well as style, shrub or climbing for example. There are even roses that look fantastic but which have no smell. A rose is no longer simply a rose.
The same has happened in recent years to print. A company which a generation ago produced commercial print for customers in its immediate locality on litho presses, will today offer digital printing, will cast its net far and wide for clients thanks to developing a speciality niche or thanks to an interactive online presence. It is not the same business, but it is likely to operate under the same name across all its various sectors. That name comes with baggage and associations that either may no longer be accurate or appealing. In recognition of this, some companies operate under a different name for online trading. The new generation of customers want something funkier than “T Smith & Sons, printers est 1935”.
The car industry understands this. Mass car makers moving into the luxury end of the market are choosing names with no past associations. Thus Lexus is really a Toyota, DS, a Citroen and Genesis, a Hyundai. A new brand can create its set of expectations and customer experience. Volkswagen built the luxury Phaeton car, but failed partly because it could not shed its past as the Beetle builder. Printers know that the market for print is becoming more diversified, more segmented; they experience that in shorter runs to address specific audiences. The time may be right for printers to create separate identities to meet the expectations of new customers for print in different sectors. Few outside the immediate business will care that Theodore Smith started the business in 1935. They want to buy from a company that is aligned with their outlook and that understands the issues they face, and with respect to an 80-year-old family owned print business, that may not be great grandfather Theodore.
Gareth Ward
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