Pixartprinting, the pioneer company in online printing services, announces a revolution that is expected to launch a new era in web-to-print services, leading to extraordinary standards never seen before in this industry. Innovation is in Pixartprinting's DNA. The company is striving to become a driver of change, bringing innovation throughout its value chain, from production to marketing strategies, from R&D to investments in training. Actions are being implemented in the entire process and will translate into benefits for Pixartprinting's clients, who will be offered an increasingly broad range of products, top quality standards at an even more competitive price. This evolution is also supported by increasing the staff involved.
INNOVATION AS LEVERAGE
TECHNOLOGY
One of Pixartprinting's strengths is its extremely advanced manufacturing department, which is equipped with high-tech systems. As a reference point for manufacturers, Pixartprinting has performed as the test bench for many technological installations that were first launched here, well before their official disclosure onto the market.
Pixartprinting will become the proud owner of the largest installation of this press system worldwide, as its sixth HP Indigo 10000 is expected to arrive soon in the Venetian head office. The new digital small-format department will completely replace the existing one. "We started in June last year when we installed the first two HP Indigo 10000 for testing" – comments Alessandro Tenderini, General Manager of Pixartprinting – "The performance provided by the systems was more than satisfactory, definitely up to our standards. This led us to acquire other four units". HP Indigo 10000 is the first B2-size digital offset printing press. It is ideal for works traditionally printed in offset that require utmost quality and high turnout. If digital is a must in Pixartprinting, offset printing is one of its strengths. The fourth Komori Lithrone GL 840 P – 8 colours in the 70x100 size will arrive in mid November: ordered last year, it will flank the other systems that use the same operating configuration to create the largest installation in Europe. "Offset printing is experiencing strong growth: as a result, we have had to further enhance the machinery available which has been working at full capacity since the beginning of the year" – states Tenderini.
Performance in terms of quality and productivity are important. Nevertheless, quality in service is equally important, and is ensured by Pixartprinting's new 'green' packaging line. Characterised by high technology, utmost reliability and care for the environment, the new line supplies eco friendly packaging arising from the selection of 100% recyclable materials.
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION
Pixartprinting has been the first web-to-print worldwide company to implement Reevoo, the independent system that measures customer satisfaction and makes comments and customer ratings directly available online. It is yet another service that contributes to ensure total transparency in the company. And there are new services offeredin the online platform: Fast Response is a direct line that enables clients and customer care to interact directly, whereas Conversation is a community of clients who are willing to provide suggestions to other users through an interactive Q&A system.
"We constantly want to improve the user's experience" – declares Davide Turatti, Pixartprinting's Digital Marketing Manager – "We are striving to ensure interactive relations analyse the needs of individual users". In line with this aim, by the end of November, the company will implement an innovative marketing cloud system. "Based on a predictive intelligence module, this system will update the traditional newsletter and will enable us to totally customise communication. It is a strategy that is typically used in the retail sector, but we have adapted it to our B2B 2.0 company" – explains Turatti. The platform enables the marketing department's experts to set up on-to-one relations by connecting with clients by e-mail, mobile phone, social networks and websites. It enables purchasing behaviours to be monitored and to develop, manage and enhance marketing campaigns, depending on specific habits.
Another innovation in the area of communication is the blogazine Pixarthinking, already available in Italian and will also be available in English, French, German and Spanish in the next months. This ambitious publishing project is another development of the innovative web-to-print specialist, designed to come even closer to internet users by disseminating information on its products and the 'worlds' in which they take shape. "Creativity, innovation and passion are the three pillars of any publishing endeavour" – explains Cristina Cortellezzi, Editorial Director of Pixarthinking – "Pixartprinting's marketing strategy already includes communication plans to support its commercial activities. This project aims to go beyond all that and to reveal an entirely new universe, where printed products live their second life. Take a simple label, stick to some packaging and it will travel the world with you". These are the 'other worlds' that Pixarthinking wants to describe by providing ideas and stories from the world of design, architecture, creativity but also of food & beverage, obviously highlighting the new ideas that digital innovation can bring in everyday life.
R&D AND TRAINING
Research and Development is the beating heart of Pixartprinting: made up of a team of highly-qualified architects, the aim of the R&D department is to design new products to meet emerging market trends. "The starting point is create empathy with the users, by establishing multi-channel relations, to understand their real requirements, desires and hidden needs" – explains Andrea Pizzola, Pixartprinting's Sales & Marketing Director– "The development of a concept is followed by empirical assays in the lab, to experiment and provide test print-outs of the materials, to assess performance, resilience and potential applications". This strategy has enabled Pixartprinting's range to grow over time, to include new and customised products. However, innovation also means suggesting new uses for current products, as for Plexiglas plaques, estate agent boards in corrugated plastic or Christmas stickers. In all of this, a constant desire to experiment is a must.
Nevertheless, behind all this innovation and all this technology, it is the people who really matter: they are the source of the company's liveliness and represent one of Pixartprinting's assets. "Over recent years, our staff has grown constantly. We select people who are versatile, lively and who have the specific skills required by the various departments. We also constantly invest in training programmes that envisage in-house and highly specialised hands-on training, that are a means to enhance our company's know how" concludes Marcello Libralato, Pixartprinting's Recruiting & Training Manager.
