Specialty Graphic Imaging Association Digital Printing & Imaging Association
	Executive Summary July 2008

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Innovation Thrives in a Sluggish Economy

A sluggish economy might not be good for anything else, but it is good for driving up the value of creative solutions and innovative products.  In a tight economy, your customers need to work harder to separate themselves from their competition. During challenging economic times, innovation is at its highest value. Creative solutions have a more dramatic impact at the low point of the economic cycle. Plus, your extra efforts during this crunch time will continue to pay dividends as the economy improves.

Specialty imagers who strive for maximum innovation through the tough times will be the leaders as the economy rebounds. Imagers waiting on the sidelines will quickly find themselves in the difficult position of trying to catch up.

Developing innovative solutions isn’t easy, but it’s harder for some business communities than others. Our community has the benefit of emerging technologies. New imaging and finishing technologies are great assets for graphic imagers tasked with bringing innovative solutions to their customers. Those industries without the benefit of emerging technologies are struggling to find innovative opportunities.

To employ the right emerging technologies, you need to understand the needs of the customer. A recent American Marketing Association (AMA) survey provides valuable insight into the marketing community. Marketers, who represent a wide range of customers for graphic imagers, see the need for aggressive, but focused, action in today’s marketplace. They want efficiency and innovation.
According to a recent AMA survey, 60 percent of its member marketers believe that halting or reducing spending on key marketing programs is the biggest mistake marketers can make in an economic downturn. Marketer respondents also said that focusing on short-term tactics and sticking to the status quo are additional missteps marketers make.
To help the marketing community manage these challenges, the AMA offers the following strategies to enhance marketing plans in a downturn:

• Shape the message, don't slash the price
• Focus on who not to target
• Stand apart from the crowd and invest in innovation
• Sustain the brand

"The key to success for marketers in this economy will be supporting the short term, and managing for the long term" said Nancy Costopulos, AMA’s Chief Marketing Officer, said in the survey report. "It is more important than ever for marketers to simultaneously run a sprint and a marathon."

SGIA is here to help you take advantage of the latest technology developments and power through the soft economy. SGIA ‘08 (Atlanta; October 15–18, 2008) will be all about innovation. You’ll see exciting new technologies introduced at the Expo that increase productivity, improve efficiencies and add capabilities. The progressive educational program will help you expand your marketplace.  SGIA ’08 participants will improve their ability to compete in today’s marketplace and better position themselves for tomorrow’s opportunities.