We recently hosted an engaging webinar in partnership with the Procurement Foundry, ‘Unlocking the Future of Marketing Print’, bringing together procurement and marketing professionals to explore how to optimise print management processes and maximise the impact of print campaigns. Hosted by Mike Cadieux, Founder and CEO of the Procurement Foundry, and featuring an expert panel including perspectives from a client, a consultant, and a solution provider, the session delivered a 360° view of the evolving print landscape. Our speakers included:

• Tony Massey, Executive Director, APS Group
• Heather Padgett, Senior Commercial Marketing Manager, HOYA Vision Care North America
• Fre Rammeloo, CEO, Dexter Global Business Solutions Inc.

Print Media: Far from obsolete

The discussion kicked off with a look at what print media means today and the consensus was anything tangible that you can print on to display a brand message. Far from dying out, print is experiencing a renaissance and actually becoming a more unique communication method against its digital counterpart.

While digital dominates the marketing mix, print offers something tactile and immersive that can’t always be replicated online. From packaging that can’t be digitised to direct mail making a comeback, brands are rediscovering print’s ability to create meaningful, lasting impressions – especially as digital fatigue sets in among consumers.

Sustainability: More than a buzzword

It’s clear there is a growing demand for sustainability within the printing industry with it becoming more of a priority than just a ‘nice to have’. Becoming more aware and increasingly critical, both consumers and employees are driving change and pushing brands to adopt greener and more ethical practices with carbon offsetting and sustainability initiatives becoming more popular as solutions.

Attendees heard how the industry is innovating through recyclable materials, vegetable inks and on-demand printing to minimise waste. It was also highlighted that digital isn’t carbon-neutral either, and benchmarking environmental impacts across both channels is vital to help develop future strategy.

A blended approach for maximum impact

Rather than choosing between print and digital, speakers emphasised the power of using both mediums in partnership to encourage the consumers path to purchase. Strategies such as personalised print campaigns supported by digital tracking, QR codes, and A/B testing were showcased as ways to measure ROI and optimise the media mix. Asking consumers their communication preferences and innovating with customised communications were flagged as essential for ensuring print retains its share of voice.

Technology transforming print communications

The webinar explored how technology and AI are reshaping the print industry. From printed electronics and on-demand multilingual collateral to data-driven personalisation, the possibilities are expanding rapidly. AI’s ability to analyse data, speed up workflows, and generate creative ideas were all highlighted, it can even offer intelligence to predict how impactful a piece of creative or a campaign is going to be and then suggest improvements as a result.

Most brands are curious and dipping their toe into AI with some appearing more embracing whilst others more cautious, although this can sometimes be sector dependent. However, everyone agreed that human oversight remains critical to keep campaigns authentic and emotionally resonant.

So, what is a good corporate sourcing strategy?

The final topic focused on building a strong corporate sourcing strategy for print. Collaboration between procurement, marketing, and strategic partners emerged as key. Attendees were encouraged to engage printing partners early, consider innovation and sustainability alongside cost, and develop positive cross-departmental relationships to ensure print delivers value across the business. Working together with experts and stakeholders, both internally and externally, can provide deeper knowledge and understanding and better outcomes for all.

This webinar was packed with insights, expert perspectives and practical strategies for procurement and marketing professionals alike. To receive the full recording of the webinar, please fill in your details and a member of our team will be in touch with you soon.

Print is APS’s heritage, it’s where we began, talk to us today: [email protected].

Our highly experienced Publishing Manager, Fiona McParland, spoke at a Procurex Scotland Conference about the topic of inclusivity within publishing and how no-one should miss out on information due to a disability.

Accessibility challenges can be faced by everyone and not just those with a permanent impairment. You could have a temporary disablement if you’ve broken your arm, or it could even be situational, for example, if you’re holding a baby.

In 2024, 19% of people in Scotland have declared a long-term health condition or disability.

The above statistic equates to over 1 million people in Scotland alone – and that’s just the people who have actually declared it – so it shows how important it is to ensure your content is as inclusive as it can be, as it affects a lot of the population. Not only that but in addition to ethical considerations, there are also the legal regulations that need to be followed which are only becoming more stringent.

When publishing content you should be considering these three things:

• Accessibility – removing barriers to create equivalent user experiences for all​
• Usability – experiences should be effective, efficient and satisfying​
• Inclusion – experiences that are usable by as wide an audience is possible

Often people concentrate on making a website accessible but forget about the content that is being published on that website which also needs to pass certain WCAG guidelines for it to be deemed inclusive.

APS’s five-step model

We’ve created an easy to follow process to help you break down your communications so that the output is as inclusive as possible:

1. Context – why are you publishing this piece of content?
2. Conception – what’s the best way to get the message across?
3. Content – how are you going to make it accessible?
4. Communication – what channels are you going to use?
5. Curation – how will you maintain your content?

To find out more about how to create a culture of accessibility within your organisation and how APS can help you stay compliant with complex accessibility regulations, please reach out to [email protected].

To receive a recording of the webinar, please fill in your details and a member of our team will be in touch with you soon.

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a fascinating topic that cannot be avoided as it rapidly becomes more progressive, sophisticated and integrated within our day-to-day life. We brought together Gabrielle Robitaille, Associate Director of Digital Policy and AI Community Lead from the WFA, Maartje van Beek, Creative and Content Business Director and Len Borghuis, Motion Graphic Designer, both of APS, to discuss how the technology can realistically be used within your organisation, particularly within the creative process.

Hosted by George Smart of APS, the session saw these industry experts dive into all aspects of this revolutionary tool starting with some insightful research conducted by the WFA investigating how brands are currently using AI, where they are up to in their journey, and the main roadblocks to AI adoption.

At the time of publishing, of the companies using AI 84% say they are still in the very early awareness or development stages, with only 16% advising they are at a mature stage or further.

This shows there is still a tentativeness around this complex topic whilst brands are still learning how to navigate the risks, with legal concerns, upskilling and ethical concerns topping the list of apprehensions in relation to the technology.

For those businesses that have started to dip into the world of AI there are some extremely exciting developments into how it can aid the creative process, and it is no doubt transforming the marketing industry. Maartje presented some interesting use cases of how APS has used AI for both creative content and creative production, showing how automation can speed up repetitive tasks delivering efficiencies and saving resource for other creative projects that require a more human touch.

It’s not to say AI is perfect as there are still faults, it’s knowing how to work around these flaws and use AI effectively that can really give your brand a competitive edge. Len talks more about upcoming developments and trends, both good and bad, to give a fantastic, well-rounded insight into the way this technology is moving forward.

Here at APS, we thrive on innovation and aim to keep abreast of ever-evolving technologies to find the best solutions for our clients, enabling them to maximise efficiencies in both resource and budget. Our team will work with you to make innovative yet practical recommendations. Talk to us today, [email protected].

To receive a recording of the webinar, please fill in your details and a member of our team will be in touch with you soon.

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, the way businesses communicate with their customers is constantly evolving. Digital communications, offering speed, efficiency, cost savings, and environmental benefits, are increasingly becoming the standard.

However, transitioning customers from traditional paper-based methods to digital alternatives presents challenges. Despite the undeniable advantages, many customers remain attached to paper, either due to habit, lack of awareness, or perceived benefits. We explore strategies that can help businesses encourage customers to embrace digital communication while considering their concerns and motivations.

Digital communications provide significant advantages over traditional paper-based methods, whether that’s cost savings, quicker to implement, increased and trackable customer engagement or sustainability reasons. However, understanding customer behaviour in terms of their motivations and potential barriers is important so that you can develop the right strategy for your customers. This will then enable you to focus on strategies that will encourage the transition to digital. For example, exclusive content may work well for some customers, but others may need something more tangible like monetary incentives.

Strategies could include

• Incentives are particularly advantageous when a customer may feel the company is benefitting from cost-savings
• Education and awareness through workshops or tutorials to inform your customers
• Simplifying your processes so that it’s easy for customers to switch, ensuring your platform is flexible, user-friendly and mobile optimised
• Building trust to address privacy concerns and being transparent on how you collect and use data. Alongside this, you need to ensure a robust customer support system is in place and accessible online, to facilitate those transitioning
• Highlight the environmental impact on switching from paper to digital
• Leverage technology that facilitates quick and convenient communication, such as SMS or WhatsApp

Of course, measuring and reporting on your strategies is vital to record what is working or where improvements can be made. Customer feedback is crucial at this stage to ensure you understand all blockers or complexities for a customer to make the switch.

At APS, we can guide your organisation through this process and our team are on hand to advise at every step to ensure a smooth and effective transition for your cutomers and greater digital adoption.

You can download the full version of this report below for more information.