The problem lay in the fact that some messages, hugely important to the ongoing revenue stream of the company, were not communicated in Europe. Many customers were not aware, for example, that the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® and many formula guides (a fan book that displays over 1,000 colours and details their composition and a reference number) need to be replaced regularly. Being prone to discolouration, ageing guides would over time lead to inaccurate colour referencing. Customers were also unaware of the wide range of new Pantone services. In recent years, these have included the addition of technology-based solutions for the retail sector and consumer lifestyle products.