Choosing market segments and digital printing technologies for package printing industry: a case study with Océ Technologies

The aim of this research is to investigate the overall package printing market and analyze it using theoretical market and technology models to find out the most likely segments that document printer manufacturers can enter and which digital technologies are the most suitable for printing packages. This study then raised two main research questions that need to be answered, "Why should document printer manufacturers consider entering the package printing market and how will these manufacturers enter the market segments in terms of entry strategy and why digital is used as the preferred technology?" And, "What is the most attractive market segment on which document printer manufacturers can focus while entering the package printing market and what are the preferred digital printing technologies to enter this segment?" Based on the analysis, there are five segments in the digital package printing market that Océ can enter. These are label printing, folding cartons, flexible plastics, rigid plastics, and metal package printing segments. From these segments, label and folding cartons package printings are the most interesting segments for printer manufacturers similar to Océ to enter. The market for folding cartons packaging segment is steadily growing alongside label printing thanks to the increasing demand for short run printing, customization and personalization, market tests, sales samples, and prototypes. The digital technology of inkjet should be the first choice for package printing. Inkjet printing still has more opportunities to develop the technology further compared to electrophotography (toner). Inkjet technology enables printing on non-flat surfaces e.g. already folded packaging because the print heads do not make contact with the surface, meaning more flexibility on printing surfaces that inkjet can handle. In the overall package printing industry, digital technologies are still in the early stages of their life-cycle. The market for conventional technologies is already quite a competitive market where with poorer growth opportunities. The digital technologies are still in the introduction phase. Their adoption rate is still limited to early adopters and niche markets. In the digital package printing market, electrophotography is now becoming the dominant design of digital in package printing with a large market share. However, the development of electrophotography will be less since it is already mature compared to inkjet, which is still growing, catching up with electrophotography. Nevertheless this study has some limitations. This analysis is based on information that depicts the current situation in the digital package printing. Years from now, the trends, dominant technologies, attractive segments and other aspects will develop and change. Since this study is done for possible markets that printer manufacturers can enter in the future there will always of course uncertainty and unpredictable actions of competitors.

Subject

packaging
package printing
technology life cycle
digital printing
offset printing
entry strategy
market segments
printing technologies

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