The only thing more difficult than earning the business of a new customer is keeping it. Printers working with brand owners sometimes have a hard time differentiating themselves in the marketplace and demonstrating consistent value. There are three areas in maintaining a brand owner relationships where your efforts will most certainly be rewarded!

1. Help them reduce cost
Every brand owner is looking to spend less on materials and the “buy more, save more” approach that has resulted in longer and longer runs is not a viable solution. Instead, brand owners want the flexibility of just in time without having to absorb a price increase. 

The key to saving brand owners money while running a profitable business is volume and efficiency.  Your goal is to become their preferred printer because a) you have demonstrated your commitment to the partnership and b) you have a real, tangible success strategy that details exactly how your process is more efficient and more consistent than the competition. Managing shorter runs profitably is only possible if you are still able to minimize machine down time in the process.  One tried and true way to accomplish this is by eliminating variables and increasing overall operational efficiency.  Reducing the color palette, for example, is one way to drive efficiency and reduce costs.  Taken a step further, an optimized fixed palette solution will certainly provide any printer with a competitive advantage.

Tip: Provide brand owners and retailers with the ability to have high print quality on a wide range of substrates.

2. Help them manage inventory
If you have the space, a vendor-managed inventory (VMI) solution can help you demonstrate value by creating an efficient print management system in partnership with your customer. With VMI, you’ll work with your customer to establish stock level minimums and maximums based on forecasting models.

The upside for the printer in this scenario can be enormous. First, you will become very “sticky” with your customer in terms of the relationship. Established VMI partnerships are difficult to break.  Second, you will be able to complete longer runs while still delivering just in time value. You’ll have greater control over the planning process and more flexibility. Third, printing in volume allows for greater overall print consistency.

3. Help them manage their brand standards
Printers running the same job at multiple sites or even with multiple machines in the same site understand the common standard expectation brand owners have.  Generally, brand owners have little concern over where a job is printed or by whom so long as the common standard is met. 

The key to successful brand standards management across multiple sites is consistent, predictable printing. Optimized fixed palette is one means by which to ensure consistency across all stations. In fact, many of the same cost reduction strategies you can use to win over brand owners will ultimately help you deliver more consistency.  


About the author: Doug Jones is Vice President of Marketing at Apex International, a global supplier of anilox and meter technology.