HP and WhatTheyThink Shared Strategies for Success with Inkjet

July 10, 2008 -- Lexington, Kentucky USA -- WhatTheyThink.com conducted a free educational web session for industry professionals on July 9th. The Next Killer App: Are You Getting the Most Out of Inkjet?  was led by industry expert Barbara A. Pellow, Group Director of Production Services for research firm InfoTrends and sponsored by the HP Capture Business Success Program.

The webinar archive may be accessed here.

“Wide format inkjet is a logical part of the product mix for print service providers who are striving to develop value-added services to differentiate them in the marketplace,” said Pellow.  “For commercial printers, many of the same graphic elements that are already being used in the production of other marketing materials are used in wide format signage, making wideformat a logical addition for most businesses.”

Pellow was joined by Tim Greene, the Director of InfoTrends' Wide Format Printing and Jetting Technology Opportunities Consulting Services, who reported on market size and critical trends.  David Pitts, co-owner of Classic Graphics, shared the user perspective.  Located in Charlotte and Durham, NC, Classic Graphics occupies about 130,000 square feet in 3 facilities with a staff of 160.  The company’s 2007 sales were $33 million. Pitts shared significant detail about specific applications and opportunities his company has encountered, including the synergies between wide format and offset printing.

“In 2007, in the U.S., retail value of wide format printing was $10.8 billion in 2007,” said Greene.  “Sometimes printers think about wide format as primarily proofing. But there is clearly much greater opportunity associated with this technology, especially as it relates to the growing demand for outdoor advertising, which is not affected as much by economic downturns as other types of advertising.”  Greene also provided an in-depth review of the various types of wide format inkjet printing available on the market, including ink types and associated costs of equipment and consumables.

“This session debunked many wide format myths,” said Randy Davidson, President, WhatTheyThink, “and provided lots of great insight for print service providers relative to the opportunity.  We appreciate the fact that HP’s Capture Business Success Program is sponsoring this important session, allowing us to make it available at no charge.”

About HP

Hewlett-Packard is accelerating the digital transformation of the graphics arts industry. HP is developing exciting new creative and business opportunities for graphics professionals. There are HP imaging and printing solutions for virtually every segment, from commercial printers, graphic designers and advertising agencies to professional photographers and fine artists.

Employing HP professional color technologies -- and supported with strong strategic alliances and partnerships -- these solutions provide an unmatched color graphics experience, marked by stellar image quality, ease of use, and predictable, repeatable results.

Start exploring the world of possibilities with HP Graphic Arts.

The HP Capture Business Success Program is leading the industry with a suite of business development tools, training and communities that give customers the support they need to enter new markets, explore new opportunities and outpace competitors – profitably.

About WhatTheyThink.com

WhatTheyThink.com is the printing and publishing industry's leading online media organization; offering a wide range of publications delivering unbiased, real-time market intelligence, industry news, economic and trend analysis, peer-to-peer communication, and special reports on emerging technology and critical events. Serving a membership base of more than 50,000, WhatTheyThink.com also hosts webinars and live events as well as providing content through a syndication program, which delivers content directly to related websites and through RSS.

About Barbara Pellow

Barbara Pellow recently assumed responsibility for the development and delivery of two new services at InfoTrends specifically focused on the evolution of the Graphic Communications Market – The Business Development Service and Custom Communications Service. Pellow has served in a number of roles including the Chief Marketing Officer of Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. In the role of Chief Marketing Officer, Pellow was responsible for all marketing activities for the division, including marketing communications, public relations, marketing intelligence and advertising strategy. She was an active participant in developing business strategy and helping define the group’s go-to-market organizational structure.

Prior to joining Kodak, Pellow was the Gannett chair in integrated publishing sciences in Rochester Institute of Technology’s (RIT) School of Printing Management and Sciences (SPMS). She has also held senior marketing roles at IKON Office Solutions, InfoTrends, Xerox and IBM.

Pellow can be reached at barb_pellow@infotrends.com.

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