Printronix: RFID market leader project
They say credit usually goes to the person who convinces the world of an idea rather than the one who conceives it. But convincing the world is itself a major undertaking. In 2003, RFID was put on the technology map by Wal-Mart issuing a mandate that its top 100 suppliers be using RFID by mid-2005. Printronix, the world’s largest manufacturer of industrial and back office printers, recognised the market potential of RFID and established a company objective of becoming the RFID market leader.The company identified retailers as early adopters and set out to convince the retail sector that radio frequency identification (RFID) technology could offer major improvements in supply chain management. Printronix had launched plans to build RFID capabilities into its printers. However, the biggest challenge lay in de-mystifying RFID - a very young emerging technology - as many retailers had yet to recognise its value. In order to develop a strategy to demonstrate the benefits to retailers, the company drafted in Hotwire.
Hotwire realised an educational campaign across Europe would require a phased approach. RFID uses radio frequencies embedded in tags (about the size of a ten pence coin) to uniquely identify an object, animal or person. A key advantage of RFID technology over traditional bar coding is that it eliminates the line-of-sight reading that bar coding depends on. With RFID, companies can improve visibility in the supply chain and ensure effective tracking of goods in a warehouse or monitoring stock levels in a retail outlet.
The agency began its campaign in December 2003 by commissioning research into adoption of RFID among European retailers. The research revealed 41% of respondents across the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain were planning an RFID pilot in 2004. This report – the first ever research into RFID adoption and the issues likely to hinder its adoption - allowed Printronix to talk to the media in each of the five markets credibly about market facts and issues. The findings were used to target early adopters in all five European markets through the IT, retail and logistics press.
In the next phase, Hotwire built upon the first study. Printronix was preparing to launch its RFID printers developed specifically for the European market. The agency commissioned a pan-European study in June 2004 to refresh existing research and ask new questions about barriers to adoption, as well as looking ahead to 2005.
To generate maximum media interest, the research was announced simultaneously with the unveiling of the new RFID printer. The release of the research in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK generated 50 pieces of editorial coverage including a four-page article in Logistics Europe. Hotwire also briefed top industry analysts covering retail technology resulting in Juniper Research dedicating a section to Printronix’s RFID printers in its report: ‘RFID opportunities: markets & technologies in western Europe.’ In France, briefings with seven publications including Emballages Magazine and Data Collection. This resulted in nine pieces of coverage, including two articles in Data Collection and a byline piece in ITR Manager. Pre-briefings with the UK’s most influential technology, retail and logistics media led to Retail Week running a full-page story on RFID standards with other key titles such as IT Week, Supply Chain Business and Microscope covering the story. A live demonstration at the launch helped to show how RFID technology can be used in practice.
The campaign is ongoing and the most recent research has created an additional 16 editorial opportunities in the UK alone. Printronix’s positioning as a leader in RFID has been achieved as evident in recent analyst figures. Venture Development Corporation’s (VDC) 2004 RFID Planning Service study indicated that Printronix was the 2004 global leader in ultra-high frequency (UHF) Electronic Product Code (EPC) printer market and led the industry in product revenue in RFID printer applicator installations. Karen Jensen, Director of Corporate Communications at Printronix, said of the campaign: “The RFID market is proving a tough challenge for the industry as there are numerous variables beyond our control. However, through Hotwire’s creative thinking, we have been able to engage the media and help carve a niche in a fiercely competitive sector. Printronix is now recognised as a leading player in RFID and Hotwire’s efforts have played a major part in this.”
