Future trends
One of the last questions in InfoTrends’ survey asked participants to indicate how much they agree with a series of ‘trend’ statements on a scale of one (disagree) to five (totally agree). With this type of question, ratings averaging above 3.5 indicate strong agreement with a trend.
The following were the results:
• “We count on media partners to develop new products to enable new applications.” – 4.0
• “The supply dealers we use are very knowledgeable about print media.” – 3.8
• “We are interested in media loyalty programs and other incentives to use the same brand from the distributor.” – 3.8
• “The performance warranty is an important part of the print media we buy and use.” – 3.8
• “We are interested in media loyalty programs and other incentives to use the same brand from the manufacturer.” – 3.7
It is logical to see slightly less interest in having a loyalty program hosted by the manufacturer as opposed to the distributor, since benefits of such a program would be realized faster in a dealer-based program where all supplies are purchased from one source, rather than a vendor-based program where the benefits of spending on one specific type of material would accrue more slowly.
There are tens of thousands of sign and graphics shops across North America competing for new and current customers’ business every day, so they are looking for ways to expand their services into new areas of profitability. Suppliers must recognize the demands of both the shops and the end customers, so they can help sign and graphic producers take better advantage of their investments and access new markets.
Glenn Feder is the International Sign Association’s (ISA’s) director of business development. The research cited in this article was sponsored by 3M. For more information, visit www.signs.org and www.3m.com.
