10 Facts About Wide-Format Print Buyers

Published late last year, the annual ‘Who Buys Wide-Format?’ survey, conducted by NAPCO Research and sponsored by Canon, provides a strong view of wide-format print buyers’ current needs and behaviors.

What They Want

• More than 70% say they seek providers who are easy to work with and provide excellent customer service. They consider these attributes to be more important than price.
• More than 60% say they consider both service responsiveness and a knowledgeable staff when selecting
  a provider.
• Nearly 70% say sustainability is an important feature among the providers they consider.
  The most common turnaround time expected by buyers of signs and display graphics is two to five days.

How They Source and Purchase

• The most common ways wide-format buyers find new providers is through referrals and internet searches.
• Buyers’ top three sources for purchasing signs and display graphics are commercial printers, sign shops, and online providers.
• More than 75% of buyers are not required to purchase sign and display graphics from an approved vendor list.

How To Reach Them

• More than 75% of buyers say continual education about sign and display graphics topics is important to them.
• Buyers look at various sources to learn about trends and technological advances in the sign and graphics segment.
• Buyers are more likely to accept sales calls due to a referral from someone they are already doing business with.

Takeaways

Success in the wide-format space requires more than just doing quality work. It also requires meeting customers where and how they prefer to be met, providing deep value, including exemplary customer service, serving as a knowledgeable advisor, being visible when they are searching for or sourcing providers, and seeking referrals from trusted colleagues. Further, with so many buyers not required to work with approved vendors, the possibility of “getting in” with potential customers is indeed strong.