How many fairly well known printers can you name that are no longer with us? I realize there are many reasons why a printer can go out of business, but I also know being extremely well-known does not guarantee longevity.
That's because Relevance almost always trumps Knowledge (awareness). That's not to say that being known is a bad thing… actually it's a good thing. But it's interesting to note that most marketers and printers strive to become well known, in fact, most put this at the top of their marketing goals.
Mistake! Becoming extremely relevant to your customers is far more important than being well known every time.
Let's say you are a lesser known short-run digital and offset printer that's fast, offers great prices, and is easy to work with. Let's also assume you've done your homework in your market niche(s) and discovered that's what your target customers want. This offering will score high in 'relevance' and that is a terrific basis for making sales.
On the other hand, if you were a well-known printing company and you offered this same group of customers high speed, long run printing you would probably be much less successful. That's because being relevant almost always beats being well known.
