Five Ways to Break into Marketing Services

The 'Pigeonhole' Problem

One problem encountered by both commercial printers and in-plants is that their customers start to think about them based on products they buy. In other words, customers stereotype or define them as a business card printer, a large-format or poster printer, or a printer/mailer. The in-plant becomes pigeonholed, based not on all the products or services it provides, but only on those the customer purchases. The customer uses Shop A for business cards, Shop B for brochures and maybe the in-plant for stationery—and doesn't look beyond that.