Printers Swimming in a Red Ocean

In the business world, spending all your energy selling and competing against the same products and services offered by everyone else is called a “red ocean” strategy (it's not really a strategy anyone would choose). Red…the color of the financial ink or something else red in the waters of the marketplace. Red…because it’s a zero-sum game - your financial success comes as a result of another’s financial loss - or vice versa. Red oceans are full of sharks. Can you hear something like rapidly pulsing beat from Jaws in the background? We’ll give you the shark repellant later.

The typical smaller print shop or quick printer swims in a red ocean populated by an ever-increasing number of sharks. If you don’t recognize the sharks, here’s a partial list of everyone wanting some or all of your customers’ printing business:

• Office supply stores,
• Mailing stores,
• On-line print providers,
• The new print shop or franchise across town,
• Local and national marketing agencies…and more

And, the red ocean concept applies to more than ordinary printing. There are sharks for wide format printing, banners, signs, web sites, promotional items, door hangers, email stuff, etc. It’s usually good business to be different from the competition, however in a red ocean, it’s hard to…have the lowest price, the fastest delivery, the most convenient locations or hours, the broadest or best set of offerings…it’s hard to be the best at anything.

The solution is to find unique and valuable products…stuff your customers want but few or no people offer. Then, you can spend your energy growing your market…that you monopolize…rather than fighting with the sharks. Moreover, if your unique and valuable product happens to tie into printing or communications, then a potentially large portion of your red ocean may turn a more attractive color…blue!

Now, for your shark repellant - data! Most of your sharks can’t do data!

Think about it - data is at the heart of all of your customers’ communications… data makes your customers’ communications possible…data makes your customers’ communications valuable…data is what your customers want to get from their communications…data…data…data! Data ties into many types of printing and virtually all types of communications. Data can take you to a blue ocean!

Call us if you need swimming lessons.