Diversification
Print Support Services Industry (ISIC 1812)
Given the secular decline of print media, moving into value-added services is essential for long-term firm viability.
Why This Strategy Applies
Entering a new product or market beyond a company's current activities to reduce risk and capture new revenue streams.
GTIAS pillars this strategy draws on — and this industry's average score per pillar
These pillar scores reflect Service activities related to printing's structural characteristics. Higher scores indicate greater complexity or risk — see the full scorecard for all 81 attributes.
Strategic Overview
Diversification in the printing sector acts as a hedge against the inevitable decline of traditional print volumes (MD01). By pivoting toward high-value services such as cross-media campaign management, variable data marketing, and specialized wide-format signage, firms can insulate themselves from the commodity-price wars typical of offset print.
However, diversification introduces technical debt (IN02) and requires a significant shift in operational culture. Successfully moving into new segments requires aligning the firm's existing logistical infrastructure with new demand patterns—such as the rapid turnaround requirements of personalized marketing—while avoiding the 'innovation tax' of high R&D spending on unproven technologies.
3 strategic insights for this industry
Margin Migration to Services
Value-added services like kitting, direct mail fulfillment, and database management command significantly higher margins than ink-on-paper.
The Digital Gap
Firms failing to provide digital integrations are increasingly excluded from multi-channel marketing campaigns (MD06).
Prioritized actions for this industry
Launch a Creative/Marketing Service Unit
Captures a larger share of the customer's budget by providing the 'what' and 'why' behind the print.
From quick wins to long-term transformation
- Expand services to include fulfillment and shipping/logistics
- Offer basic design/file preparation services as a bundle
- Invest in variable data printing (VDP) software for direct mail personalization
- Develop cross-media expertise (QR codes, augmented reality print)
- Strategic acquisition of a digital agency to provide turn-key marketing
- Repositioning as a brand-support service provider rather than a print shop
- Underestimating the talent gap required for digital services
- Over-investing in equipment before securing pilot customers
Measuring strategic progress
| Metric | Description | Target Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue share from value-added services | Percentage of total revenue from non-print-only services. | 30-40% |
| Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) | Increased spend due to cross-selling print+digital services. | 20% YoY increase |
Software to support this strategy
These tools are recommended across the strategic actions above. Each has been matched based on the attributes and challenges relevant to Service activities related to printing.
Brand24
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When a substitute product is gaining narrative momentum, Brand24 detects the share-of-voice shift before it appears in sales data — an early-warning signal for industries where the substitution story is being built in media and social channels ahead of commercial displacement
Real-time media monitoring platform that tracks brand mentions across social media, news, blogs, forums, videos, reviews, and podcasts. Gives businesses instant visibility into what is being said about them — and their competitors — across the open web, so reputational risks can be detected and contained before negative sentiment hardens.
Catch the conversation before it catches youIndependent recommendation matched to this industry's risk profile. We may earn a commission if you purchase — this never affects matching or scores.
Other strategy analyses for Service activities related to printing
Also see: Diversification Framework
This page applies the Diversification framework to the Service activities related to printing industry (ISIC 1812). Scores are derived from the GTIAS system — 81 attributes rated 0–5 across 11 strategic pillars — which quantifies structural conditions, risk exposure, and market dynamics at the industry level. Strategic recommendations follow directly from the attribute profile; they are not generic advice.
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Strategy for Industry. (2026). Service activities related to printing — Diversification Analysis. https://strategyforindustry.com/industry/service-activities-related-to-printing/diversification/