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Canon’s forward-thinking journey to help PSPs become more profitable works
Canon UK has delivered a successful series of open days at its new customer-centric experience called Horizons. The Horizons experience has been designed as a distinctive move away from the traditional, more 'vanilla' showroom experience to take customers on a forward-thinking journey that addresses each of their individual business challenges, while at the same identifying future opportunities for growth and expansion into new markets.
The company is clearly delivering on its statement earlier this year to adopt a continuous assessment of the ways in which it communicates with its customers and as such, supported by independent market research commissioned by Canon, Horizons is a proof of concept facility that has been carefully designed to provide its customers with fresh perspective and insight into their business, benchmarking where it currently stands against where it could potentially be in the future.
Canon UK says it is working to help Print Service Providers (PSPs) enhance and market their current service offerings, in addition to helping them to identify new revenue streams that they may not have previously considered – and it seems to be working if the response from the delegates is anything to go by.
According to delegate Nigel Harvey, operations manager, Document Solutions at Sodexo, the Horizons event was a very different experience to the usual customer days. “Every visitor was accommodated for,” he says. “The seminars were very flexible and interactive and we could jump in with questions at any point. This made it more personal and productive, and enabled us to extract from the day exactly what we wanted. Canon raised lines of discussion and new ways of thinking that was outside the box, and demonstrated how - as a partner - it could help grow our business through new revenues streams."
The customer days gave UK-based PSP's access to Canon and Océ's combined portfolio of professional print products and solutions, with further inspiration provided through customer success stories and the extensive marketing opportunities that are available to customers through Canon's Essential Business Builder Programme (EBBP). As part of the experience, customers also saw live demonstrations of key digital products from across the Canon and Océ ranges and the innovative applications that they can produce.
Graphic Arts customer Gary Livermore, director at Print Warehouse, enjoyed the seminars, which covered a wide range of subjects from digital photo production to web-to-print. “The potential of the former was a real eye-opener, while the W2P session cemented some of beliefs I already had, inspiring me to improve on our current service offering. It was absolutely worthwhile attending and I am looking forward to any Canon events in the future," he says.
John Price, print manager, Document Solutions at Wigan Council, adds: "I found the day very useful. Beyond the impressive breadth of the company's portfolio of technologies and solutions, Canon really illustrated the value of print and its integral role within the communications mix. There is still great value in the touch and feel of a printed document - it just needs to be utilised in the right way alongside other channels of communication. We discussed the most effective ways to do this, including integrating print with online via cross media. I left the experience with plenty of food for thought."
Mark Lawn, European and UK marketing director, Canon Europe, says: “Canon has developed Horizons to provide customers with an experience that is progressive and that is tailor-made to the specific needs of PSPs - to serve the fast-evolving demands of their customers across the communications landscape. Horizons exists to inspire customers and to help them realise the vast potential that exists for them to grow their business. They have clearly seen how Canon is perfectly positioned to help them grow their business over the long-term."
EFI acquires printLEADER MIS
EFI has acquired the assets of MIS vendor printLEADER and plans to integrate the system into its PrintSmith Vision product line. EFI will also continue to support the existing printLEADER client base, which consists of more than 800 commercial and in-plant printing operations across North America.
John Fleming, founder/president of printLEADER, says: “Our customers need to remain extremely competitive in today’s 24x7 world. After 25 years the timing is right to join EFI, a leader in our market that produces outstanding software solutions, so we can offer our loyal customers a more robust and feature rich-suite of software products and high-value, web to print storefront solutions.”
Just Falafel hires LightBrigade Media to drive UK expansion
Just Falafel, the fastest growing falafel chain in the world, has appointed LightBrigade Media to help steer its entry into the UK market. LightBrigade Media is a brand creative, PR and events agency with in-house production encompassing exhibitions, display graphics, litho and digital printing.
The 2012 Business Innovator of the Year in the annual Gulf Capital SME Awards, Just Falafel opened its first store in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2007 and now has over 650 franchise agreements in place to open stores in 15 different countries and now aims to open 200 fast food restaurants in the UK over the next five years.
Covent Garden based LightBrigade has been appointed strategic and creative lead, with a brief covering brand communications, store design, packaging and events, alongside PR. LightBrigade’s Matt Walker and Anthony Sydes will lead the delivery of a refreshed identity to be rolled-out globally following its introduction to the UK.
The company is already installing new graphics, menu boards and other assets into the first few restaurants with more still to come. With three new stores already opened in last few weeks, LightBrigade has a further 12 stores on its books for the remainder of this year.
Canon and Océ complete UK and Ireland integration
Canon UK has announced the completion of the process to integrate Océ into Canon's business in the UK and Ireland.
The Océ brand, which is renowned world-wide for its production printing, wide format printing and business services capabilities, will continue to operate as a product brand under the Canon name.
The Canon UK & Ireland integration process started in September 2012, led by Hasse Iwarsson - managing director of Canon UK & Ireland - after Canon Inc. acquired and took full ownership of Océ N.V. in January 2012.
“I am proud and excited to be leading our company as we complete the process to integrate the local Océ operations into the Canon UK business," says Hasse Iwarsson. "Today marks the start of a new era in which we will use the combined strengths of Canon and Océ to offer the industry’s broadest portfolio of print products, services and solutions to our customers in the UK and Ireland.”
The combined workforce is now 2150 across the UK and Ireland, headquartered at Woodhatch in Reigate, Surrey.
Fastsigns recognised as a World-Class Franchise
Fastsigns has been certified as a 2013 World-Class Franchise by the Franchise Research Institute following an independent survey in which 70.6 percent of all Fastsigns franchisees participated.
The survey was designed to determine the level of franchisee satisfaction within the Fastsigns franchise system, and asked franchise owners to rate their franchisor through a series of questions in categories such as overall quality, growth potential, support and communication. This is the company’s second straight year to earn the recognition for high franchisee satisfaction ratings.
With some 540 sign, graphic and visual communications centres in eight countries, the worldwide franchisor believes that open, transparent communication and thorough, ongoing training and support leads to satisfied franchise partners.
“Franchisee satisfaction is a key ingredient in creating a sustainably successful franchise brand,” says Jeff Johnson, founder and CEO of the Franchise Research Institute. “Fastsigns utilised unbiased, third-party validation through confidential franchisee surveys to obtain open, honest feedback. They are not afraid of transparency, and use the data gathered for the continued betterment of the company and the franchisee experience.”
Fastsigns offers a variety of sign and graphics solutions including banners, building signs, digital signage, site signs, vehicle graphics, decals, exhibition stands and displays, point-of-purchase signs, and posters – as well as mobile websites, promotional products, interior décor, branding, printing and other marketing services.
