Has the historical node of the Internetization of the printing industry arrived? 5 questions about vertical e-commerce in the printing industry

 Dark Horse said: Statistics show that the total output value of China's printing industry in 2013 exceeded 1 trillion yuan for the first time, reaching 1,039.85 billion yuan. Why isn't there a well-known vertical e-commerce brand with such a big plate in the printing industry? The article will discuss one by one from five aspects.
 
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Text / Edited by Wang Xiatong
/ Pu Ge
 
The vertical e-commerce industry in China in 2014 is still in the ascendant. Under the trend, some companies began to break through the siege to open up new worlds, and some began to gradually withdraw from the market. Because vertical e-commerce has the advantages of focusing on industry brands, in-depth services, and channel specialization, it can continue to grow and develop independently of the existing large-scale e-commerce platforms.　
 
We are accustomed to comprehensive e-commerce such as Taobao and JD.com. It is very unlikely that such a large-scale platform will appear in China again. The reality is that these large-scale comprehensive e-commerce does not play a significant role in promoting vertical industries. On the other hand, the sub-sectors cultivated by vertical e-commerce are not necessarily small, and their production capacity and market demand are often astonishingly large. Statistics show that the total output value of China's printing industry in 2013 exceeded 1 trillion yuan for the first time, reaching 1,039.85 billion yuan. Why isn't there a well-known vertical e-commerce brand with such a big plate in the printing industry? We list 5 questions to explore one by one.
 
Question 1. Has the historical node of Internetization of the printing industry arrived?
 
In recent years, the printing industry can't wait to do a lot of Internet-based exploration. The China Institute of Printing Science and Technology has held two "China Printing E-commerce Annual Conference" in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and the conference was full of heated discussions and thoughts. The upsurge of the Internet-based "Great Leap Forward" in the printing industry in China is more like an expectation. Because, nowadays, high-speed networks are popularized, and it does not take too long to transfer a large design file; online payment has become fast and diverse; logistics and express services have developed; operation. It can be said that the historical node of the Internetization of the printing industry has really arrived, even if this road is not a smooth one.
 
The development process of



 

 

Internet-based printing industry Q2. Where is the threshold for Internet-based printing industry?
 
The main crux of the delay in the Internet-based printing industry can be summarized into the following three points:
 
1. It is difficult to integrate the production and supply side.
Compared with O2O of ordering food, integrating printing plants and integrating restaurants is obviously a comparison at two levels. Everyone understands a little about restaurants, but non-professionals cannot do it for printing plants. We can think that whoever has more professional knowledge, who is senior enough and who understands the production situation in the whole country, is most likely to take the first step. It’s hard to grow big without the ability to screen, integrate and manage suppliers, and without good partnerships.
It seems that at this point, it is difficult for pure Internet people to have an advantage.
 
2. It is difficult to sort out the e-commerce process and develop technology.
The printing industry chain is long, and having a website does not mean that you are an e-commerce business. The Internetization of ordering, payment, production distribution, quality management, order tracking, distribution, and delivery management behind the website is the hard work. This chain, compared to ordering O2O, has many more links.



 

3. It is difficult to promote the establishment of brands of printing vertical e-commerce through high-quality services and competitive prices.
Traditional printing companies have shortcomings in service, and it is not a matter of one or two days to make up for them. In addition, the Internet awareness of traditional enterprises is also a shortcoming. In the same way, it takes time for Internet companies to gain a deep understanding of printing.
 
Q3. Can the successful experience at home and abroad be used for reference?
 
1. American Vistaprint
In 1995, the American Vistaprint printing company was formally established, but the company has been in a state of loss for the next five years. When it was on the verge of bankruptcy, the founder changed its business strategy and successfully saved the company with the e-commerce model. After several years, it was listed on Nasdaq in 2005. It has now become a model for global print e-commerce. Its success can be attributed to: the perfection of its website design and systems, as well as clear customer positioning and service.
 
2. Taiwan Jianhao Printing Taiwan Jianhao Printing,
which takes network printing and combined printing as the main mode, is popular. Why is Taiwan Jianhao Printing successful? The general manager of the company gave a concise answer: (1) Reserve and apply IT technology. (2) Complete digital and standardized transformation. (3) If there is a coincidence, it is better to seize the opportunity. (4) The business model should be well matched.
 
3. Hong Kong e-print
e-print has been committed to developing online printing services since its establishment, and has invested a lot of resources to develop service systems. "Make good use of IT to create excellent business value" is the evaluation of e-print by the outside world, and its service system has won the Silver Award of "Best Business System" by the Hong Kong Information Technology Bureau.
 
Q4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of various domestic mainstream models?
 
In recent years, many different models of printing vertical Internet platforms have appeared in China. There are three representative models:
 
1. With light assets, starting from the printing supply chain,
this type is Sunshine Printing.com. Sunshine Printing Network maintains the characteristics of light assets. That is, no input is made on the production side. Sunshine Printing.com controls production resources through in-depth cooperation with manufacturers and IT-based transformation of traditional printing production, and then opens up the entire process of Internet connection. This model seems to have more opportunities for rapid growth and the foundation of steady development among many models.
 
2. A pure Internet platform that enters the industry by design. For example: Kaitu.com and other
Kaitu.com are more prominent in design. In this respect, they are somewhat similar to Witkey websites. Whether they will compete with Zhubajie.com in the future is still unknown, but its pure platform operation seems to be difficult to control on either end. Resources, when the competition deepens, their profitability will be tested;

3. Internet exploration of traditional large-scale printing enterprises
On the basis of existing production capacity, they have carried out exploration of Internet e-commerce, self-operated and self-produced and self-sold, and are also in the beginning. See results. The representative enterprise is Shengtong's Commercial Printing Express Network. This is the typical "heavy" mode.
 



 
 

Q5. Old question as always - what if BAT did the same thing?
 
The author believes that traditional industries including printing are and will continue to be affected by BAT, but due to the industry characteristics of printing, BAT and other Internet aircraft carriers will not be involved for the time being. The reasons are as follows:
 
First, the "transformation" that relies on a mature trading platform is not a real transformation. In fact, Taobao and other platforms have contributed more to traditional manufacturers in channels and promotions, and their tentacles have not yet penetrated into the production process. This is not as good as the Xiaomi model, because Xiaomi also relies on the Internet to continuously optimize products while selling on the Internet.
 
Second, there are differences in the industry, just like Mr. Ma Yun cannot participate in the 110-meter Olympic hurdles, all use one Internet game, and only a few people win. Indiscriminately pulling an industry to the Internet is uncomfortable!
 
In this section
 
, the author believes that, according to China's national conditions, by giving full play to the active platform of the producer as much as possible, the probability of winning will be higher. Of course, the success or failure of these models remains to be tested by the market. "Internetization of traditional industries" is a major trend. In the future, all large and small companies will meet printing needs through the Internet. This day will come sooner or later.
 
Before that day arrives, we set aside a few questions to ponder during the process: Will the entire pipeline of print be shortened and made efficient by the Internet? Is the service provided more satisfying because of the internet? Like the e-commerce in the past, has the Internet brought a low price impact on the products of the printing industry?
 
The road to Internetization of the printing industry is destined to be full of ups and downs. Let us look forward to it and bless it.
 
This article does not represent the views and positions of this journal.
 

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