Statistics seem to indicate that the photo print market in the United States will remain substantial. By 2018, it should reach approximately 11.3 billion units. One of the driving forces keeping a professional photo printing lab alive and operational in Connecticut is merchandising. As long as people, professional and amateurs, continue to use their devices to snap pictures, there is a market. When you combine this with the latest trends in photo merchandising, you can see positive results for the industry.
Marketing and Encouraging Photo Printing
Toda’s marketing gurus have come up with a variety of products that are marketed specifically to those who take photographs. Two sectors comprise the major purchasers of these devices and are the best potential customers for professional photo printing labs. The two groups a smart photo shop owners or operator will focus on are:
1. Baby Boomers
2. Millennials
Each of these groups is in love with photography. Yet, the demands of each are different. This requires understanding what products and services appeal to each.
Baby Boomers and Photos
Boomers are those who want to capture a memory. The type of photo books they ask for are the standard types. They want to leave something behind for their family. They also want to be able to sit and flip through a photo book that lets them reflect on the past and theorize about the future. While they may want the occasional transfer or printing of a photo on a mug, a card or other similar nick knack, this is not their reason for having their photos captured in print. For them it is leaving behind something for their family and other relatives. A photo book acts as a remembrance and a legacy.
At the same time, Boomers are not afraid to consider the replication or transfer of one of their old photos to canvas or metal. This is one way to make certain such digital memories of Connecticut and other states and places endures beyond their mortal bodies.
Millennials and Photos
When it comes to purchasing mass photo merchandise, a photo printing lab can always count on the Millennials. However, the approach must be different from that used to attract Boomers. Millennials are more into what is the newest and latest. They want to print something that captures a moment not remember something for a lifetime. They are into technology and open to newer modes of photo printing.
For Millennials, printing can take on anything that is fun and immediate. It may be a mug, a card, Tee shirts, bedding and any of a host of other items. As they age, they may opt for the latest trends and options. Of course, there is always a chance that, like the Boomers, they may find it more important to leave a legacy than have fun.
Photo Printing Lab
If a company wants to survive, it needs to know its clients. If it wants to thrive, it must be able to understand and appeal out to all potential clients. If you operate/own a photo printing lab in Connecticut or elsewhere, it is imperative you always know this.
