We ask the industry what trends and challenges they think 2023 will bring
Neil Lovell, CEO, The Printing Charity
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: Staff wellbeing: It’s really encouraging to see that staff wellbeing has jumped to the top of the agenda in the print industry since covid. A clear, consistent and effective wellbeing strategy continues to develop that resilience we’ve seen so clearly across the industry during the past few years.
We hear about more and more companies establishing wellbeing initiatives, which is great, but there’s more that can be done to embed this industry-wide, and we’re here to help those companies looking to do more.
People: This naturally links to my point about wellbeing, but I think we’ve yet to see the true impact of covid, and everything that has happened since, on the people in our sector. It isn’t just about the individuals working in print themselves, it’s about their families, too. I think more companies will be searching for ways to support their staff as these pressures mount.
Cost of living: Trying to navigate the current sense of uncertainty caused by the cost of living crisis is impacting everyone, so of course it impacts those working in print. People and businesses everywhere are struggling with what previously has been taken for granted, the ability to keep the lights on, and sadly more businesses will close.
There aren’t any easy answers to these pressures, and we expect to hear from more people facing uncertain futures. It’s important that we keep pushing for greater awareness of the practical and emotional support we provide.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: No sector can survive without the people who make it possible, and the print sector’s continued resilience is driven by brilliant people.
To maintain the industry’s potential, in 2023 it’s going to be critical to continue to recruit the right skills; retain talent within the industry; and offer right time, right place support, development and learning opportunities to everyone, from new joiners to those who have established their careers in the sector already.
This will provide the stability and opportunities required to ensure the industry will thrive.
Marcus Clifford, regional director of the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF)
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: Even more so the effectiveness of visual print to create value in the eyes of the customer, marketeers and specifiers will shine through against other communication outputs.
There is an alignment between providers of print, greater confidence, and understanding of how to sell solutions. Manufacturers of equipment and consumable suppliers are on a mission to deliver this message upstream to brands and of course the BPIF is a catalyst to amplify the message!
The power and talent of people resources will be mined to a greater extent, talent management to deliver great solutions and experiences alongside ongoing use of labour saving technologies. Talent and skills are a scarce gem now.
Ongoing consolidation and merger activity driven by the dynamics of rising costs bases and changing revenue patterns.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: Keeping up the resilience, adaptability, flexibility, good humour, the talent, entrepreneurial ability, inspirational approach, and now displaying philosophical insights. Business owners and teams have displayed great strengths in 2022. They deserve huge credit!
Mary Ann Rowan, chief experience officer of Solimar Systems
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: Continued consolidation to PDF as a print file format; requirements for highly optimised files to reduce the impact on production processes; and automated workflow and hardware solutions that are self-maintainable with reduced professional services or custom code needs (either internally from IT or externally from vendors)
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: As simple as it sounds, staff/people/employees to do the work that needs to get done.
Nick Benkovich, VP Global Portfolio and Product Management at ePS and member of the Strategic Mail Partnership
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: The next wave of digital or digital 2.0 is here. Twenty years ago we saw digital start to impact our industry but we are seeing the second wave, with higher speed, higher quality roll to roll inkjet not simply being an alternative for short run or when variable data is needed, but in many cases a true replacement for digital capacity with all the benefits.
This is impacting everything in workflow, from estimating, order acquisition, planning and production. For many it is a total rethink of how they produce.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: Workflow optimisation and scale. The challenge will be how to hire, train, and deploy staff in the appropriate places within the business while finding the areas where automation can drive higher levels of efficiency with repeating template style work.
This is where each business will face its own unique challenges based on the equipment, employee, customers and product mix, and having the right technology partner with the knowledge, breadth of solution and integration options, will be critical to ride the wave to maximize profitability.
Danny Cook, Managing Director, Go Inspire Solutions – part of the Go Inspire Group, a Xerox Company and member of the Strategic Mail Partnership
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: I expect the number of jobs we see come through our factories will remain similar to last year, but that batch volumes will decrease.
Targeted and personalised communications will become a necessity to get cut through, and the data strategies that sit behind communications will become even more important than they already are to facilitate this.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: We have limited control over macro factors, so our focus will be on maintaining our agility to best serve our clients.
Ben Briggs, managing partner at Join the Dots and member of the Strategic Mailing Partnership
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: Sustainability - One of the biggest challenges we face as an industry; greenwashing. Greenwashing that comes as a result of poor education around print as a media channel and how sustainable it is. We need to educate brands, marketers, the future generations of marketers so that we can stop the misconceptions around print and its eco creds.
Innovation - We need to start doing more innovative print, not just commenting on ‘cool’ designs. To quote Thomas Edison, “the value of an idea lies in the using of it”. So, let’s not keep fantasising about innovative print, let’s start doing it.
So, for the printers reading this, we (media agencies, brands, creative agencies), we need more innovation from you, not just the typical response of “How much budget have you got?” We need you to educate us in the ‘what’s possible’.
Phygitisation - The world is becoming more digitally focused as consumers require faster and easier ways of doing things. Take our ‘button pack’ for JLR. Cool, yes. Innovative, yes. A world first...yes. BUT, the reason it was done? To make the customer journey for booking test drives seamless for the time poor, high cash rich JLR audience.
That is the power in combining the physical and digital worlds in print. To make campaigns more effective. To make it easier for consumers or to drive more response.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: I think there are two. The first is siloed working, between teams within brands or agencies, between agencies and creatives, between printers, agencies and creatives. And of course, between ‘competitors’.
We have to protect our work, our USPs, but we also need to share our work, the learnings so we can educate each other, generate better work and inspire the future print industry.
The second is lack of education and awareness of print channels as part of the wider media mix. Unfortunately, there is a severe lack of understanding around print media, in particular, where letterbox media is concerned.
As an industry we need to do more to educate and make real impact earlier on in the education of new marketers so that agencies, brands, and creatives have well-rounded people in their team and understand the full media marketplace.
Ashley Moscrop, managing director of Dufaylite
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: I would say that the main two are a continued drive for sustainability and a further drive for more creativity in-store.
With the cost-of-living increases, there will be even more competition than ever to win people’s money, and so marketing and standing out in stores will play a huge part in this. Sustainability is so key to our future that I can’t foresee focus lessening on this.
The challenge will be allowing retailers and brands to achieve their necessary sustainability targets, whilst helping not to increase their cost base too much.
I would also expect to see a further reduction in retail stores, with more closures and so printers will receive more requests for shorter production but with a higher focus on recyclability and carbon footprint.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: The global cost of living and labour shortages. Whilst I feel commodity costs began increasing drastically in 2021 and continued into 2022 due to high demand and lower and longer supply times. When coupled with the rising energy prices, it was no surprise that inflation shot up.
I believe we are now starting to see this demand slow down and anticipate that inflation will reduce, which seems to be a signalling a return to normal demand.
This will however be labelled a recession and so the hardest challenge for companies will be to not buy into the broadsheet media hype too much and allow it to affect them.
Companies will come out of the downturn at different speeds, and those with a greater focus and innovative offerings around sustainability will be the first to succeed - as this will be the best way to protect value and sales through these challenging times.
Anthony Rowell, sales and customer success director at Tradeprint
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: 1. Printers will recognise the value of data and how that can drive everything for proving the ROI on a printed product to analysing performance and understanding customer behaviour.
2. Sustainability will continue to gain momentum. Businesses will realise that offsetting is not the best way to become sustainable and carbon offsetting will be challenged.
3. Collaboration with suppliers, business partners, customers, employees will help drive our amazing industry forward.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: Embracing digital transformation, managing supply chain costs, and making sure we look after our people in tough economic times.
Simon Lewis, VP of marketing at Highcon
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: 1. More companies will build sustainability roadmaps and raise the weight of sustainability considerations in their decision-making.
2. Digitalisation will continue its healthy growth across the packaging industry.
3. Staff shortages will increase the attractiveness of equipment that requires fewer and/or lower skilled operators
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: Inflationary pressures, rising interest rates and general economic weakness are liable to cause companies to postpone investments. If, indeed, this happens, it’s going to make life challenging for Highcon.
Justin Noble, head of product management at Xaar
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print industry for 2023?
A: The demand for digital printing in packaging will be a key trend, driven both by the opportunities for packaging reduction and the growth in e-commerce deliveries.
Digital print is playing a pivotal role in both areas helping brands remove packaging and labels by printing direct onto products as well as meeting the demand for personalised high-impact corrugated packaging for e-commerce.
It goes without saying that sustainability and the environmental impact of production will continue to feature more prominently in 2023, with businesses seeking to reduce their energy and materials usage.
Also linked to the drive for sustainability is the growing interest in the use of aqueous inks in printing and innovations such as the Xaar Aquinox will be a key driver for the exploration of more sustainable digital printing across an array of sectors (including fabrics, textiles and DTS printing) for 2023.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: Managing the challenges of the global supply chain will continue in 2023 and the need for strong relationships between partners will be more important than ever in ensuring continuity of print and production.
Businesses will also need to focus on the value delivered, with sustainability being key in ensuring that customers continue to invest in the necessary capital expenditure to develop new production approaches, even in challenging times.
Paul Franklin, sales manager for UK and Nordics at Scodix
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: Simply, economics, sustainability, and shorter runs. We are already seeing the return of print for personal connection as people are tired of electronic invitations and emails.
Printed direct mail for personal connectivity is on the rise and so brings the need to add attractiveness to the print. Scodix offers an economic and productive solution to elevate print. Another trend is the unboxing experience to drive social media exposure. Embellished print designs will support brands to stand out, surprise, and impress.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: For Scodix, growing in-line with our order book. For the industry, overcoming the cost of money and increasing raw material charges.
Jason Clough, managing director of Propack
Q: What do you predict three trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: The first trend, and the most pressing now, is reconsidered formats in response to increased pricing. Anything that can be done so as not to raise prices for customers without losing the quality of work. Further refinements in targeting and intended use of print and mail will also come about in response to pricing, in order to preserve industry standards.
I can also foresee a retro approach to print and mail coming back into trend, as in times of uncertainty people value things that evoke a sense of trust and reliability.
Finally, I expect more focus on the environment in the next year, even more than it already has become a focus for the industry. A focus on ESG and the need to be environmentally friendly is certainly a message I am hearing from some of our key clients, and I think Propack is ahead of the game with this.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: Strikes and the ensuing fall out of strikes. Workers from all walks of life are striking now, but postal workers are so vital to our industry that their strikes have a huge influence on how we do our work.
Persuading clients not to cut marketing budget due to the current economic climate also poses to be a potentially major challenge for us. Demonstrating to clients the benefits of continuing to spend with more considered and targeted campaigns will be the way forward.
Björn Fandrich, Vice President of Paper & Board Europe, ACTEGA
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: Looking to 2023, we predict that businesses will continue to develop new innovative technologies to address today’s key sustainability issues within the industry, such as recyclability and global regulatory pressures.
At ACTEGA, we are constantly developing new ways to help our customers and brand owners meet their new targets. An increase in paper and board products is to be expected, driven by the demand for more sustainable solutions.
Therefore, our goal to provide effective alternatives, such as our range of ACTGreen® Barrier Coatings, will remain a priority for us at ACTEGA.
The need to create packaging and print technologies that are kind to the planet will be essential in 2023. We are confident that our solutions will help shape the future of the print and packaging industry, and we are excited to see what the future holds.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenge will be for 2023?
A: The energy crisis and the cost increase of raw materials are two challenges that have influenced our business and the market in 2022, and we are anticipating that they will remain big challenges in the new year. However, we have robust strategies in place to tackle them and to continue to support our customers.
Steve Pearce, Group Head of Marketing, Kyocera UK
Q: What do you predict the three key trends will be in the print/packaging industry for 2023?
A: Organisations which have not made steps to become carbon neutral will be looking for initiatives to help them demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, such as Kyocera’s recently launched Carbon Neutral Printing and Managed Print Services.
Security will also be a major trend for next year, both in hardware and software.
There remains a need to make remote and hybrid working more secure overall, so expect to see new IT software designed to help achieve this goal. Print devices will also see new security features added to help iron out any lingering issues and organisations will seek devices like Kyocera’s 3554ci series that are validated ‘secure’ by BLI and Keypoint Intelligence.
Top of the agenda for many business – both big and small – is the need to guard against cyberattacks and the increased cyber threat surface.
There will be a significant shift in the number of end-users embracing on-board document management systems and automated workflows as the trend toward cloud adoption gathers pace.
Hybrid working has accelerated digital transformation and Kyocera’s Cloud Print Scan (KCPS) and Cloud Information Manager (KCIM) products play to this enabling the convergence of print and digital workflows.
Q: What do you predict the biggest challenges will be for 2023?
A: Availability of stock will be a key challenge, exacerbated by economic conditions. These include a likely recession and continued inflation, which is why making a concerted effort to be creative and build further resilience into print businesses is vital.
A key area of focus for Kyocera in 2023 will be to give partners access to a range of complementary products and services. This will enable them to offer a full-suite of workplace solutions and target new markets or cross-sell into existing accounts.
Finding new markets for print will also be a major area to focus on. Digitisation of documents is continuing, so print organisations might not necessarily be able to rely on the same companies or industries to secure custom as they did before. Again, meeting this challenge is about being creative and thinking outside the box.
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