Content repurposing - the #happydrupa effect

Happy is as happy gets. And although I try to take back a little bit of happiness from every show I visit (Fespa, drupa), sometimes it takes an extra special - or should I say happy - surprise to keep the feeling going.

Last week I received a intriguing enveloppe with my address details written by hand. Hand written snailmail? Consider me pleased as punch. Would it be a wedding invite, a ‘new baby in the framily‘ announcement or a party invite? None of the above. Turns out it was one of the best DM I have received in years.

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Hand written address details - the personal touch does the trick.

At drupa, Ed Boogaard introduced 2 figurines he kept as a memento from drupa 1982. He now took them back to the future, aka the Messe fairgrounds of drupa 2016. He captured their key visits in quirky snapshots that got posted on Twitter alongside the #happydrupa hashtag. Their arrival, first German food, meeting Mr. PrintPakt, meeting Mr. Landa, work hard party hard – you name it. 2 weeks of little Playmobil people fun.

Cute. I confess I tuned in regularly to follow their adventures during the show.

So what a wonderful surprise to see that Ed had turned their social wanderings into a small printed booklet that he sent individually to the #happydrupa followers. How’s that for keeping the social online conversation going?

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The boys took the #happydrupa followers on a tour of #drupa2016 highlights.

I’m a big fan of repurposing on site and on the spot generated content. It will have served its purpose ad hoc, but that does not mean its meaning should remain confined within that moment. Repurposing your social content in a digital or print manner afterwards is a wonderful way of stretching your communication momentum just a little bit longer. A good quote, a fine image or a fun story in this case, can last longer than its 140 character life on Twitter.

Keep good content alive. The #happydrupa was generated on social, repurposed in print. And now promoted online in this blog.

The only remaining question is: did they touch the future? What did the Marty McFly’s think of the future of print? Stay tuned... 

Maya Staels

#drupa2016 – I ain’t seen nothing yet.

It’s the inkjet drupa! It’s the nano drupa! Isn’t drupa what you make of it? For me, it’s about inspiration, application and commercialisation. If I were a printer, I’d like to find a solution that either optimises my current business model (but don’t get me started on automation just yet) or opens up new money-making opportunities for me.

We all saw the Highcon flowers and dresses, the Landa show (well, I haven’t actually, but I saw plentiful pictures) and Xerox hiring the Ministery of Sound to beef up the stand. Impressive to say the least, but I went looking for the little things that make users aware of the greater good print has to offer us and our margin. Little things, such as...

1.     Personalised purses? Shut up and take my money!

The ladies on the Agfa Graphics stand in Hall 8a sported cute waistpurses. I couldn’t resist and asked where they got those. Tailor-made in-house print. Imagine finding the pattern of your dreams and being able to transpose it to your bag. This could revolutionise the fashion industry even further. No tacky-looking plastic cheap handbags. The high quality can take fashion personalisation to a new level. Curious to see what they’ll be displaying at InPrint 2016 in Milan in November. Last time they displayed the personalised shoes. What will they do next? (I’m a 36, @agfagraphics, just saying. And looking for a mint green purse btw.)

Personalise your bag. Seriously. Shut up and take my money!

2.     Going to the drupa and we’re gonna get ma-ha-harried.

This couple caught my eye. It’s a pity of the reflection in the image, but these tiny people were so life-like, I was baffled. How wonderful is it to get scanned in your wedding attire beforehand (all relaxed and groomed to perfection), so you have the perfect figurine on the wedding cake and a lifelong memory of your special day? I also saw some other 3D applications, but this I love. If ever I get married, I am so doing this. (If you're the exhibitor, let me know, so I can accredit you, I lost my flyer!)

A memory to treasure forever - and a piece unique on every occasion. (Hopefully.)

3.     What’s that smell?

I noticed the advert of Schubert International in the drupa daily. Although I love the smell of ink and machinery anytime, the whiff of peppermint oozing from the drupa daily was refreshing. So when I passed by the stand, I was even more impressed with the other solutions. Children’s books with everyday smells to get them acquainted with their senses, inviting them to explore further. It was a pity there was not a small give-away or even the possibility to buy an application on stand. I would have definitely purchased then and there. On the look-out for the Belgian distributor. I want. And so would my #5yo.

Stimulating the senses is everything for the little ones. Let's not forget smell, an essential survival skill. Love how print can stimulate this.

4.     The book that binds.

You can print just about anything digitally, but it’s the binding that makes the book. I got a quick demo of the process at CP Bourg and was surprised at the speed of it. In a mere few minutes, pages were cut to the desired size, bound and delivered. It can handle about any size and bind type. Wonderful solution for a quick remake of literature favourites, such as Alice in Wonderland. And with the digital print combo, there is great potential for book on demand, dedicated prefaces or limited editions for events. Even in the shortest of time spans. Curiouser and curiouser indeed.

What else will they get out of the rabbit hole next?

5.     Print is everywhere.

If you didn’t visit the Kodak loft, you surely missed out. Strolling through the interior all the while thinking “really, this is printed”? Kodak made sure to inform you what was printed using which technology. Very informative and hands-on in an entertaining and non-invasive manner. I’d go for the printed table-top with my favourite picture. Personalise your house, love it.

Printed - all printed! So many prints!

Alas, time is limited. Which is why, even after a full week on site,  I feel like I’ve seen nothing yet.

Help me out here. What was your biggest find at the show? Where do you see the potential of print?

See you at #drupa2020.

Maya Staels

No one on the #drupa2016 red sofa couch? I couldn't resist. Thanks for letting me hijack it guys!

Before drupa the deluge

The anticipation build-up towards drupa was huge. Whereas the previous edition was marked by a sense of caution, instilled by the crisis, it seems the market is ready to be bold(er) again. drupa communication picked up like it hasn't done in years, companies were looking for the right tone of voice to make sure they could "unleash" print at this year's edition. (I've seen quite some unleashing references, I think it might be the drupa word du jour.)

Yesterday I roamed the halls to get acquainted again with this massive show. (I get lost easily and my navigation skills suck. Ask anybody who knows me.) Bumped into some journalists to secure some interview slots. USBs are ready, so are the flyers and the briefing documents. All this anticipation and here we are. Moment of truth.

Yesterday the fair cities of Düsseldorf and Cologne got just about flooded with the rain. What a metaphore for the drupa theme. It flooded our lives the last few months and now it will flood the cities for the next two weeks. After drupa, no deluge. It just marks the beginning of another three year cycle.

I'm ready. Release (unleash?) the Kraken.

Maya

P.S. Most likely I'll be around halls 7, 8 and the press centre. Always willing to get lost or take a detour to talk communication.

My view looking out of the car window as we drove back to the hotel. #Aquaplaning anyone? #drupa2016

Fespa, drupa and the end of print's beauty sleep.

As children of the crisis (if you’re my age and no, I’m not telling), we entered the job market a couple of years before the print market got hit. Then we suffered through the budget cuts, the bankruptcies, the company consolidations. And listened to the tales of good times passed.

We focused on the moneymaking tasks, did hard sales, forgot about the softer communication skills. The market and media got hit. Hard. Companies and publications disappeared. Talented people left the industry. Valuable knowledge got lost. PR learnt the hard way too. Do more with less. Less advertising budget, less copy budget, less market knowledge. We survived, got creative and never lost hope.

And then drupa 2012 happened – new technologies paved the way towards an uprise in the market. People dared believing again. They dared stand up to the “print is dead” cries from the digital community. Print was not dead, it was taking a beauty sleep. Only to rise like the phoenix. Reinventing itself.

Fespa 2015 made it clear change was knocking on opportunity’s door. Hopes and spirits went up. And so did the creative juices in the industry. New allies were formed, new markets got discovered and new technologies emerged. You could just feel positive vibes oozing through the hallways.

By embracing the new technologies, the PR scene discovered new media and channels to convey the message of customers. Visual storytelling, social strategy research, digital sales lead generation. Old school got out, new school was in session. PR truly got 360° by reinventing the print, digital, online and social wheels. I, for one, feel envigorated already.

And as we kick off the first day of Fespa Digital 2016, online communication makes it clear that disruption took place. Now it is time to transform the business. Communicate on what you have accomplished and what you’re planning to do. Get your content straight. And make sure the market finds out about it. Choose your content, channels and partners wisely.

See you at the shows.

Maya

P.S. You'll find me at Fespa Digital 2016 March 8-9. Drop me a line/tweet/ext if you want to meet up.