Page 26 - PWM2024_OCTOBER EBook

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

A matter of confidence

O growth within that difference, shortfall primarily being
f course, this is a simplistic view of how the
made up by new business wins, whereas the decline is
world works. But nevertheless, a lack of cer-
tainty can become a spiralling descent into
down to reduced activity from existing customers – but
Business is all about negativity. we have not lost any customers”.
confidence. This So, two years after the last pandemic Hill says the group’s recent acquisition of Marketlayer
means confidence in restrictions were lifted, a similar timespan “is the beginning of our strategic plan to broaden our
a supplier to do what from the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 20 offering alongside print, covering creative, email and digi-
has been agreed; months since inflation started to spike, where are we? tal marketing, data services plus more consultancy from
How does the print sector view its future?
confidence in a cus- the Eight Plus team”.
Notably, he says that it is likely that the company will
tomer to pay on time; Eight Group invest more in digital print over the next 12 months; this
and confidence in the Eight Group CEO Lance Hill says business is good, but may require further ancillary finishing equipment. As
government and the consistent with the same period last year; the company Hill comments: “We are investing significantly in work-
economy to encour- normally sees a quieter first half compared with the sec- flow and back-office efficiency at the moment, as this is
age investment. ond half where business ramps up. an area we have not focused on enough in the last couple
of years due to our tripling of turnover in the last four
State of play years.” However, despite the investment plans, Hill
Words by He explains that Covid was an unusual spike for the doesn’t envisage an increase in staff.
Adam Bernstein firm, “but in a positive way due to our pharmaceutical and
healthcare client base”. He adds: “But when you strip out The economy and politics
the two years where it affected our revenues, we are still On how the recession played out for Eight Days, Hill is
up on pre-Covid sales.” bullish. He says: “‘Recession’ is just a word that sparks
That said, he says that there is “a mixture of decline and panic into people unnecessarily. Whilst it might be stat-

26 PrintWeek MENA October 2024 www.printweekmena.com