I hope we’ll see business moving out of ‘survival mode’ and see opportunities and new avenues for profitable growth

The power of print at a glance…

• The move towards personalisation will drive change in the printing industry in 2023.
• Brands that embrace it will sharpen their competitive edge. However, on the whole, brands have yet to fully grasp the commercial value and potential of personalisation.
• Corporate brands are putting pressure on their printing partners to offer more ‘planet friendly’ sustainable materials and inks.

Efficiency drive

In my conversations with our global community, three key trends surface regularly – automation, sustainability and personalisation – which I predict will continue to drive change in 2023 and will be strongly represented at our landmark FESPA Global Print Expo event in May 2023 in Munich.

Planet Conscious

Firstly, automation and process optimisation will continue to play a big role this year in maximising efficiencies across the production chain. From a brand owner and agency perspective, automation enables products to get into stores more efficiently, at a reduced manufacturing cost and with less associated waste. Therefore, brands can be more dynamic and responsive to changing consumer behaviour and selling patterns.

Secondly, the spotlight is on sustainability, as corporate brands put pressure on their print and signage partners to offer more ‘planet-friendly’ options for out-of-home, event and point of sale graphics and other types of visual communication. Automation plays a major role in reducing waste, but we’re also expecting print buyers to have more consideration for the technologies and inks being used to produce their products, and the materials they’re made out of.

Thirdly, personalisation is a hot topic. Forward-thinking print businesses have seen the opportunity for individualisation that came with the shift to digital production, though many brands have yet to fully grasp the commercial value of personalisation, let alone embrace its full potential. Now we’ve reached a tipping point where the creative and technical capability is matched by widespread and immediate demand.

Tailored & targeted

Consumers everywhere want experiences that are personalised, instant, and augmented. Brands that embrace personalisation are sharpening their competitive edge. But to get to grips with personalisation, it’s key for brands to de-mystify their view of its value by witnessing the full extent of real-time customisation in action.

Getting personal

That’s why we’re launching Personalisation Experience, a brand-new experiential showcase and multi-day conference. Geared towards brand owners, marketers and agencies, the event will zone in on how to harness personalisation to enhance or differentiate products in areas including personalised loyalty marketing, sportswear and fashion customisation, and personalised packaging.

FESPA is both an exhibition organiser and a global membership organisation with members in 57 countries. At the heart of what they do are global events, where delegates can explore a wealth of product innovations for digital wide format, screen and textile printing as well as signage and visual communications

To know what the other 7 experts have to say about print's future, simply download the booklet Print Media Predictions 2023.