Digital Digest: Print Meets Multi-Channel During SG360 Degrees Open House
WHEELING, IL—When it comes to learning about digital printing, variable data and multi-channel marketing, and how to monetize them in your own printing operation, nothing beats the opportunity to see digital presses running in a real-life production environment, to hear educational sessions led by industry experts, and to network with industry peers who are facing the same business decisions.
Canon Solutions America provided that perfect opportunity for 40 attendees last month by hosting its "When Print Meets Multi-Channel" event at SG360°, a direct mail and marketing solutions specialist based here.
Following a networking dinner the night before, the day-long program kicked off with welcome comments from Robert Radzis, chief customer officer at SG360°, and a market overview from Francis McMahon, vice president of marketing, Canon Solutions America, Production Printing Solutions. McMahon revealed that its U.S. customers printed 68 billion pages in 2012 and that, as of last year, Canon Solutions America holds a 41 percent market share in continuous-feed color inkjet press placements in the United States and Western Europe. He also pointed to Canon's long-term commitment to product innovation, noting that, for the past 20 years, Canon has remained among the top five corporate recipients of U.S. patents.
Insightful presentations followed from MJ Anderson, a founder partner of Trekk, and Fred Neil, VP of CRM, analytics and customer insight for Home Depot. Anderson discussed how new smart phone apps, such as blippar, layar and Metaio, enable interactive print and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences—and the opportunity for printers to help their clients deliver content and messages across this channel.
Similarly, Neil described how Home Depot has embraced a mobile-first mentality and is starting to use AR within its in-store signage.
Tours of SG360°'s production facility featured closeup demonstrations of the company's new Océ ColorStream 3700 continuous-feed digital color press with an in-line Hunkeler finishing system and a Canon imagePRESS C7010 VP cut-sheet color press, which joined SG360°'s four existing HP Indigos.
Following her general overview of the inkjet opportunity, consultant Elizabeth Gooding led a panel discussion on why SG360° acquired its new Canon presses. And, John Crumbaugh, of Canon Solutions America, closed the event with an update on inks and paper grades best suited for inkjet printing. PI
