In recent times, what has been the most far-reaching change that has impacted industries across the globe? If you ask any industry leader who has been keenly observing the trends, then they would tell you that without a doubt, the greatest revolution of the century is Digital Transformation! !
How Digital Transformation has influenced businesses?
Digital transformation has completely altered the landscape in which businesses work. It is the way in which digital technology is integrated into various aspects of an organisation so as to smoothen the process of delivering services to customers. It has disturbed the status quo and has become indispensable for all kinds of organisations across sectors. It not just means greater use of IT to improve service delivery but a complete disruption brought about by a digital idea. Digital transformation driven by huge amounts of relevant data, AI and digital marketing has the potential to create incredible value for customers. Of all the various businesses immensely impacted by digital transformation, one is the retail sector. With the advent of e-commerce, traditional ‘brick and mortar’ companies have realised that the former has the capability to eat up their market share and put their businesses out of the race. This has led them to ramp up their online presence while keeping their offline stores intact.
Print-on-Demand
As a result of the emergence of e-commerce, another disruption came in the form of the ‘Print-on-Demand’. This is steered by web-to-print option made available by ever-increasing e-commerce platforms. It has also become a great way to manage inventory and avoid wastage as it eliminates the need to hold products in bulk, thereby making it highly attractive to companies. Print on demand has got the required boost due to high penetration of mobile phones along with increasing internet accessibility. Moreover, digital platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok are driving the growth in e-commerce and web-to-print applications as suppliers can easily target their customers through these platforms via sponsored ads. It presents enormous business opportunities to offline suppliers as well service providers to shift to online models and focus on growing the same.
Personalisation
The web-to-print facility has given way to ‘Personalisation’, which has become a tool of value addition via digital printing. It helps in differentiating one’s products against mass-produced prints, thus increasing brand value, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. Personalisation is gaining traction as more and more aspiring customers look for something that helps them make a statement and stand out in the crowd. In today’s world of social networking where every individual is a brand in themselves, personalisation is a great way for e-commerce platforms and retail stores to tap this huge customer base, resulting in the emergence of digital printing, which is capable of meeting the growing demand of personalisation across the world. With such lucrative opportunities, it is time for every stakeholder to pull their socks and enter this segment in full swing.
What else is trending?
Trends such as print-on-demand and personalisation are changing the way companies are catering to the evolving requirements and aspirations of their customers in today’s digital era. Trends like these and more have been perfectly captured by print industry mammoth HP in its e-book titled ‘Top 10 Trends Shaping the Large Format Printing Industry in 2020. The e-book lists down the emerging facets that have the potential to revolutionise the entire printing panorama, impacting various other businesses dependent on it. All these trends are interconnected as one either leads to the other, complements it or supports its existence. The e-book is a must for any business that is looking for growth in these highly competitive times and it would help the stakeholders gauge whether their business is in sync with these trends or not. To find out about the