HOT MARKETS FOR 2006 — NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Number 6 telecommunications ($989 billion, +5 percent; with $10.1 billion in print, +3 percent) is again connecting. Wireless, including equipment ($221 billion, +20 percent), will demand $2.4 billion in P-O-P and support collateral printing. Government auctions of radio spectrum frequencies and municipal airspace will accelerate Wi-Fi and Wi-Max. Smartphone convergence devices will ring up outdoor/P-O-P print with features that connect users visually to an advertiser.

New customers will be sideband lessees (for highway sensor networks, etc.) and satellite providers. Directories ($3.2 billion to print, +2 percent) are growing offshore and among non-telcos like YellGroup. Telecom equipment ($0.4 billion to print, +4 percent) is flat except for network providers like Nortel. Cable, satellite ($2.1 billion to print, +4 percent) will increase direct mail, publication inserts and outdoor.

Packaged foods ($649 billion, +5 percent; with $8.7 billion to print, +3 percent) wraps Number 7. Pet foods ($0.2 billion to print, +23 percent) for more than 360 million non-human consumers, and fresh packaged products ($3.2 billion to print, +8 percent) are most appetizing for flexo and rotary letterpress shops. Dry foods, snacks, confections and baked goods ($3.3 billion to print, +8 percent) will increase promotional spends and re-branding as consumption wanes. Another $3.1 billion in print will be ingested in closures, litho labels, folding cartons, coupons, FSIs and in-store displays.

Consumers are, however, drinking again. Beverages ($329 billion, +7 percent; with nearly $8.7 billion to print, +5 percent) are bubbling at Number 8. “De gran cru” are wines/spirits ($1 billion to print, +48 percent), which will pop P-O-P, labels and FSIs. Coffees and other prepared drinks ($2.8 billion to print, +7 percent), with new offerings in nutritional soups and drinks, will sip up sanitary paper/converting, coupons and signage.

Beers/malts will tap $2.5 billion in packaging and promotional print. Soft drinks ($39 billion, +5 percent), dairy ($32 billion, -8 percent) and waters/juices ($54 billion, +5 percent) will pour more than $2.4 billion into re-branding and alternative aseptic packaging. Print will turn the faucet onto private water, the successor to municipal delivery, as the next privatization commences.