Letters, feedback, get it off your chest: 28 April 2010

Problems at Chippendale gets Phil Heaton thinking about what the industry must do to avoid a similar plight. Write in and let us know your view on this, or any other of our stories.

Re: Chippendale given the chop by administrators

It’s a sad day for the industry to see a print powerhouse like Chippendale go under and there is only one group to blame and that is the equity partners and the management of Chippendale for mismanaging the changes needed in print today.

It had been happening for many months and was out of control. Chippendale had a lot of great staff that were mismanaged by a top heavy, bureaucratic management structure that would not listen to the print people and work with them to restructure the company to adjust to the ever changing world of print today.

Yes, it had massive firepower and a diverse, supportive structure in packaging, direct mail and creative bindery. It was a salesman’s dream operation. However it had drivers that did not know commercial print and treated the workers with disrespect. Too many chiefs and too many beans to count with other motives. There was only one way: their way, with a cowboy riding the donkey.

Print must diversify and embrace the new technologies such as LinkedIn, Bluetooth, Twitter, mobile phones and the internet and data management.

Paper sales across the board are down by at least 15 per cent. It’s a shrinking market however there is plenty of opportunities for the right people. We need to work with the new technologies and focus on change and entrepreneurial abilities to market print differently. Print is a support to the overall marketing need for immediate and measureable response rates.

In addition, the trend that we all have seen is for a more targeted print spend by clients with shorter runs and the growth of the digital print market. The quality is great and the medium is so flexible with the interaction of available and targeted data.

I wish all the talented workers at Chippendales all the very best and in the future ensure you back the right horse.
Phil Heaton

Re: Letters, feedback, get it off your chest: 21 April 2010
To Richard Holland:

Do you care to share with the forum what your company actually spends directly on paper? Or are you talking over your head about what your suppliers (meaning printers) are selling your finished goods at?  You talk it up, but how many people does your company employ in a manufacturing sense? Big talk, nil substance. Good luck with your next order of business cards ...
 
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