Page 22 - BOSS Today Issue 22

Mobile technology

take the market by storm.” However, as Allen-Burt explains, the growing trend towards
And how can OP dealers take Brother claims to be taking managed print services (MPS),
advantage of this trend? “Make share by growing its sales by since 63% of our mono A4
sure that you stand out.” advises 40% pa: “We are encouraging standalone printers are in the
Johnson, “Don’t sell exactly the retailers and growing the home 45-50ppm speed bracket.”
same scanners as everyone and office segments through Indeed, as Snell points out,
else. Smartphones and tablets targeted media campaigns to while every business needs to
are fast-growing at present, so drive an increase in sales. We communicate in colour and 70%
look to sell scanners that have have focussed on educating of Olivetti’s printer placements
features that are suitable for that people about what you can are colour devices, there are
market.” do with a labeller. Previously, some understandable reasons
they didn’t know, so it’s been why end-users have been
Labelling Machines all about educating the user, choosing not to print in colour:
Another ‘mature’ product and once we have given them “In response to the current “Don’t sell
category that is seeing rapid some ideas - such as producing fiscal climate, some customers exactly the
growth is labelling machines. durable labels for the garden, or have perceived the best way of
While these have also been for use in the office or home - controlling colour costs is to not same scanners
available for many years, as Nicol we find that they will use them put colour in a specific location, as everyone
Allen-Burt, Labelling Product for more and more applications.” which has fuelled some growth
& Insights Manager at Brother Furthermore, like the scanner in mono printer placements.” else.”
UK points out, according to the sector, the labelling machine In terms of colour printing,
latest GfK figures, some 190,000 market is also embracing there appear to be two trends: Andy Johnson, Product
labellers were sold in the UK mobility, as Allen-Burt explains: towards multifunctional printers & Solutions Manager,
Brother UK
market in 2013, a growth of 32% “Because they are battery (MFPs) and to A3 units, with
year on year. operated, you can use these Olivetti’s sales of A3 colour MFPs
The two sectors which labellers around the office, growing by 21% in 2013.
represent the opening price not just be tied to a desk; and Another driver fuelling the
points of the labelling machine because they are wireless, it shift towards MFPs is - as we’ve
market are Home and Office. gives you the freedom to print seen above - an increased
Priced as low as £14.99 by some from anywhere. We also have end-user interest in scanning,
retailers, home labellers tend to an iPrint and Label app, which and printer manufacturers are
be impulse buy products and you can use to create a label and also keen to ensure that MFP
use around four tapes a year on print it directly from your mobile scanning functions now include
average. Conversely, usage of device.” scan to searchable PDF and
office labelling machines tends Unsurprisingly, Allen-Burt’s scan to OOXML (into Microsoft
to be more continuous and the advice to OP dealers wishing Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
retail price of these products to be part of this steep growth capabilities, which give users
starts at around £50. curve is to focus on educating more flexibility in how they can
However, a high value share of end-users: “Sell the applications! import digitised files into their “We have
the market is accounted for by Give ideas to your customers - archiving framework. focussed on
products suited for commercial let them know what they can do As with Avery’s emphasis
and industrial users, such as with a labeller, which is to make on end-user education with educating
electricians and installers. Retail them more productive in the labellers, Olivetti have issued a people about
prices here start at around £70, home and office environment.” range of educational podcasts
and these units consume a large that have been developed, in- what you can
quantity of tapes each year: Getting It Down In house, to explain to both end do with a
indeed, in this sector, sales of Black & White users and to dealer sales teams
consumables outstrip that of Wayne Snell, Product Marketing all of the additional benefits labeller.”
machines by 70% to 30%. Manager at Olivetti UK reports associated with colour MFPs.
that the company saw a 14.5% Nicol Allen-Burt,
Education, Education, increase in the placement of its Martin Wilde - the author of this article Labelling Product
Education mono single function printers - is Managing Director of global & Insights Manager,
The key labelling machine in 2013. “This has been driven, OP market research specialists Brother UK
manufacturers supplying the UK primarily, by the introduction of Martin Wilde Associates Ltd
market are Dymo and Brother. higher speed devices to satisfy (www.martinwildeassociates.com).

22 BOSS TODAY | May 2014

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