The IPIA launches Narrative for Print project

The Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA) held another successful day of education and networking at its Annual Conference titled ‘Ahead of the Curve’ where it launched its ‘A New Narrative for Print’ project on Thursday, August 29^th.

The day started with an introduction to the project from general manager of the IPIA, Brendan Perring, who set many of the topics to be discussed throughout the day including how print, in some ways, has evolved to become a more bespoke and personalised service.

Perring, who like everyone in attendance, was extremely passionate about the medium of print and so made the case for the project as an initiative to encourage those in and out of the industry to shout about the strengths and power of the medium so that the public are more aware of print as an industry, and aware of it as a trusted and appreciated form of communication.

Following Perring’s introduction, Carey Trevill, co-founder and director of Mission Element, introduced herself on video to present the initial research and findings of A New Narrative for Print. Trevill said: “We want to show how we are better than digital advertising”.

The initiative which has been made possible by IPIA members: Imprint MIS, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Epson, The Printing Charity, and Citipost, has conducted a study into the perceptions of the UK print industry.

Working with communications agency Madano, research was carried out over a number of key metrics using specialist data science technology and analysis tools. 

In her presentation, Trevill said the industry often speaks in defence of print, drives innovations but without credit outside the industry, and struggles in challenging the sustainable credentials of the medium.

Trevill concluded by stressing that the industry must leverage its current position but must do so in a balanced and ‘harmonious’ way.   

Speaking about the project, the IPIA says: “By obtaining an accurate picture of how the print industry and its products are perceived — and by identifying the individuals and organisations driving these perceptions — the IPIA and its partners can develop a long long-term strategy to strengthen the print market in the UK."

Following on from this presentation were a number of speakers who all underpinned the importance of diversification, navigating challenging circumstances, and adopting new practices.

Ollie Renshaw from the University of Leeds described the journey that saw his University print room or “the photocopying department” as it was originally dubbed by staff members, transition from a traditional document print facility to a successful automated provider of various solutions for the University and potentially the local community.

In his talk, Renshaw mentioned the importance of introducing the next generation to print, a topic that was brought up various times through the day. In his case he used the university as an example of where students could produce print for their small businesses but also understand the entire process via tours of the print room or through existing and potentially upcoming university courses.

Following this came talks from JICMAIL and Allwag, a supplier of promotional merchandise as well as print and design services.

Both talks emphasised the importance of using data and the USP of print to make businesses and the industry more appealing to customers.

Allwag described the near three-year long process of becoming a B Corp company in order to better back the claims it made about its products and create a healthier work environment for its staff.

The latter half of the day saw interesting presentations from Nigel Clarke, a third-generation printer who discussed the way his company, Clarkeprint, has diversified and found new opportunities through its existing pool of customers.

Similarly, Steve Wenlock, managing director of Flexpress, discussed how his company has adapted and looked to do things differently in order to find new opportunities and grow. Wenlock explained that this was achieved by focusing on order volume via its website with additional services like split deliveries and embellished business cards.

Lastly Print Monthly was privileged to offer its insight into the industry answering questions from the audience alongside Jack Gocher from Eye on Display and Richard Stuart-Turner from Printweek in the ‘A View from the Press’ panel. The session circled back to many topics discussed throughout the day including young people in print, the future of the industry, and diversification.

Rounding off the day, Charles Rogers, chair of the IPIA, said that the key takeaways for him were the importance of diversification and that businesses and suppliers need to ensure they keep working together in order to make the industry as strong as it can possibly be.

For more knowledge-sharing opportunities or to speak to the IPIA in person, printers and sign-makers can visit The Print Show from September 17^th to 20^th at the NEC in Birmingham.