For many businesses, Christmas and the preparations that go with it have already been here for months. That is especially true for print businesses, whose own commercial customers want to have their Christmas print materials – from catalogues and calendars to mail-outs and gift packaging – primed and ready a long way in advance of the festive season itself.
We produced and delivered our first Christmas brochure this year in June,” says Tom Oldershaw, Strategic Solutions Director at Eight Group in the UK. “Some clients need to get Christmas in front of their customers early for consideration, which is where print shines.”
The likes of getting in touch with regular and potential customers, providing advance budgets, collaborating on creative, scheduling print runs and pre-ordering paper are all predictable, pre-Christmas activities
When it comes to all things seasonal and sparkly, the solutions chosen vary from year to year. “Finishing is the magic touch that shifts festive print from ordinary to unforgettable,” says Craig Harry, Head of Sales at finishing system supplier Duplo.
“This season, spot UV, foiling and lamination are increasingly popular enhancements that add an immediate tactile and visual impact.”
Customers traditionally expect festive print to deliver a high-impact, multi-sensory experience – with the likes of GRÄFE’s limited-edition advent calendar, printed on Algro Design, a prime example. Techniques such as hot stamping, cold transfer, embossing, relief varnish and soft-touch finishes invite consumers to pause, feel and connect with brands – at the same time as communicating commitment and quality.
Taking advantage of festive print techniques should always be approached with care, as Sappi UK Sales Manager Paul Palmer points out. “One common pitfall we see is when premium embellishments are applied to unsuitable substrates – resulting in cracking, peeling, dull effects or blurry designs,” he says. “But this need not be a problem. With the right material, even the most complex festive finish becomes impactful and repeatable.”
This year, the increasing use of digitalisation and AI-driven workflow automation (see ‘Here are the case studies that show how AI reinvents productivity for printers’) are adding an extra element of efficiency to Christmas workloads for some printers – which is where a service like Sappi’s Value Development Process can also shine.
This is a data-driven, consultative process that sees Sappi working closely with individual printers to co-create solutions to reduce waste, improve operational efficiency and optimise material use. The results – whether it’s a simplified paper portfolio, a tailored supply chain strategy or improved forecasting – can help printers stay agile and cost-effective at a time of year when the value of these things is particularly heightened.
Something else that’s changing – and not just at Christmas – is how brands want to connect more meaningfully with their customers. Hence the smart use of data increasingly being used to target print campaigns and make them a more personal experience for recipients. A recent Sappi Magno Web campaign featured no fewer than 3,000 unique versions of a printed mailer across six different languages, each vividly highlighting the value of combining high-speed inkjet printing with dynamic content. As well as the beyond-seasonal benefits of an adaptable, high-quality paper boasting a recently reduced carbon footprint that customers can benefit from – and pass on to their own customers.
From reduced carbon footprints to material choices, sustainability drives as well another modern trend coming to the fore this Christmas is the increasing demand for eco-conscious premium print. “Print customers increasingly want recyclable materials from renewable resources,” says Sappi Head of Sales Paperboard Matthew Campbell. “More and more, finishes need to be bio-based and biodegradable – without impacting haptics. And that means coatings and foils for festive packaging and print applications align with circular economy principles.”
A recent example of this approach comes with this year’s animal-themed Mondberge calendar, which used Algro Design Duo paper in combination with de-inkable coatings and bio-foils.
This year brands are looking for natural aesthetics, touchable textures and clear sustainability stories that align with modern consumer values. This is especially during the gift-giving season, when what you share and send says something about who you are and what you care about.
continues Campbell
If our Sappi Value Development Process sounds interesting for you and your print business, please get in touch with your local Sappi sales office.