The good news for print business ‘visionaries’ – those who are able to capitalise on their niche – is that they can use technological advances to evolve their business, whether that’s by being able to keep up with those trends or by diversifying and growing their wide format applications.

At Canon, we continually monitor the market and work closely with our partners and customers to innovate in line with the latest trends and shifts in market conditions. To help our customers make informed decisions to prepare for future changes, we’ve previously sought insights from within the printing industry to understand the wider macro-economic trends that are affecting the sector.

This time, though, we’ve gone for an ‘outside-in’ approach for our latest insight report, which is launching in the next few weeks. The report gathers insights from futurists outside the industry to understand what changes in consumer behaviour and advances in technology could mean for the future of print businesses and for print as a communications medium. More widely, we hope it can be used in a bid to stimulate more forward-thinking discussions about how print businesses can innovate in a way that will continue to create customer value into the future.

The move to virtuality – an opportunity for personalisation and print-on-demand

A common theme throughout the report was how different consumer segments are increasingly working and living in a virtual world. This is a shift which is having an impact on how consumers are perceiving and projecting their different identities in the real and virtual worlds, which are becoming more fluid. This also has an effect on both the virtual and physical goods they buy, with purchases becoming more frequent and the goods more personalised.

Here the news for PSPs is, perhaps unexpectedly positive: in a world moving toward increased virtual interactions, print’s haptic properties and permanence now holds new meaning.

From a purchasing decision making perspective, consumers are now focused on their interests and affiliations, choosing to shop with brands that align with their beliefs and values. With mostly virtual interactions, they might seek out or place more value on physical experiences and products, so brands can use previously commoditised printed goods as part of the purchasing experience. Through this lens, packaging is also increasingly seen as part of a luxury product, something to keep as a status symbol – think Prada and Chanel printed boxes and duffel bags.

On the other side of the spectrum, some consumers are experiencing digital fatigue. Here again, print has the power to cut through and connect, by the nature of its physicality and its ability to communicate through personalisation, and in a way that is perceived as more trustworthy.

In both of these cases, brands need to adapt accordingly by targeting more nuanced consumer groups no longer based on traditional social or generational factors such as age, gender or socio-economic status. Some larger brands have responded by creating sub-brands to cater to smaller, more narrowly defined consumer groups, and smaller brands will naturally follow suit. This is where individualisation plays a significant role, opening up opportunities for personalised products that resonate with different audiences across these smaller segmentations.

For example, one of the futurists emphasised the hidden value in a print service provider’s (PSP) role; one client produced pop-up POS displays, and the most valuable asset was the fact that they controlled attention at the point of sale. By adding a £100 tablet and camera to the display, to capture data about who responded to the display and how, they were able to monetise that control of attention. The data collected could be used for targeted campaigns to create stronger relevance in their communication and marketing materials, maximising impact.

While PSPs have been capitalising on premium, hyper-personalised products for one-to-one marketing – from direct mail, packaging or photo merchandise – consumers have become used to curated personalised products and services. This has created opportunities for brands with retail stores, as print can be used as a cost-effective way to transform a retail space to make it more experiential, either for an in-store event to celebrate a new seasonal campaign or a festive holiday.

Today's brands need to create immersive experiences, not just places to buy products, and printed products can help to create the right ambience that communicates brand values through sustainable materials and premium aesthetics. Retailers and hospitality businesses can create an impact with themed products and decorations, such as wallpaper, vinyl wraps, banners, signage and point of sale (POS) to offer an eye-catching way to capture consumers’ attention and shape productive environments.

Transformative technology

Another prominent insight from the report was the message that artificial intelligence (AI) is already here and isn’t going away. However, the consensus is that brands needn’t fear it; but rather use it to support their business goals. Some brands are already doing so successfully today – for example, online clothes brand Shein is capitalising on this potential by using AI to create up to 180 different customer profiles to better reach its target audiences.

However, for this to be successful, quality data is a must – it’s the essential fuel to propel your efforts. For this to be a way forward, PSPs must also invest in data skills and infrastructure, to support the opportunities that AI will deliver for them and their clients. Only then, can these businesses successfully play a ‘middle man’ role in supporting their own customers to target narrower, more nuanced audiences by using personalised and mass-customised communications.

As you can already see from some of the findings discussed in this blog, although it’s true that rapid technology progression can bring unease and uncertainty for businesses, it’s also true that embracing some of these tools can provide an unprecedented opportunity. PSPs can support their customers by demonstrating how print can cost-effectively support them in transforming spaces to create bespoke events and campaigns to catch consumers’ attention.

Our aim with the report is to empower both print businesses and brand owners to be proactive, remove barriers to growth and unlock new opportunities. We must not forget print’s most valuable asset – its ability to attract attention at the point of sale - and to monetise that attention.

For more information, visit the Canon stand for more details on how to register to download the full report and watch Mathew Faulkner’s session at the Personalisation Experience at FESPA Global Print Expo on 7th May 2025 in Berlin.