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Making it: “Your Customers will only stay with you if you remain Relevant” (By Eiji Ota)

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3 years ago

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print

Positive growth advice from a forward-thinking century-old print business

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, November 8, 2022/APO Group/ — 

By Eiji Ota, Sales & Marketing Director, Canon Central and North Africa (www.Canon-CNA.com)

It’s no longer enough to just print and sell a product. In the competitive, modern print landscape, print service providers (PSPs) need to be more consultative, thinking about how they can provide more creative solutions to meet customers’ needs while also maintaining good relationships. However, the reality is that few print businesses are fully matching their clients’ expectations when it comes to that added layer of value. Our own research[1], where we interviewed marketing decision makers, revealed that less than 25% of print buyers feel they’re getting this much-needed expert input.

UK book printing specialists, Halstan, are a clear example of how adopting a more consultative approach has positive outcomes, not only for their customers but for their own growth and success. As an international, fourth-generation family-run business operating for over a century, they have a wealth of knowledge and experience, with some loyal clients going back over 80 years. In conversation with Chief Executive, Rupert Smith, he explained the five steps the Halstan team have taken to continuously adapt over time and deepen their customer relationships. I think they offer excellent, actionable advice for PSPs everywhere who want to cement customer loyalty and drive growth:

My advice is to always start with what your client wants and then work back to your offering

  1. Find out your customer’s objectives – Recognising that printing is a commoditised market, Rupert and his team constantly look for alternative ways to input and help deliver results. “My advice is to always start with what your client wants and then work back to your offering. This helps us to understand if there’s more we can be doing to tailor our services to support their business.” For example, Halstan now has print operations in Germany and USA in addition to the UK as a direct result of listening to its customers and then setting up operations in partnership to provide solutions in those regions.
  1. Have an open two-way dialogue – and do so regularly – One of Halstan’s relatively new markets is notebook and stationery production. Rupert finds that clients in this space don’t necessarily expect Halstan to advise on creative aspects of print and just deliver the end product. But by working collaboratively with the customer and guiding them through the production steps, Halstan can demonstrate their creativity, injecting it along the way, resulting in an end product that both parties are proud of. “Your customers will only stay with you if you remain relevant to them and if you continue to add value, so we want to keep coming up with ideas and taking new propositions to them.”
  1. Move the conversation away from price – The market place is extremely competitive but Rupert believes that, by being more consultative, it puts you in a better position for when the conversation with the print buyer does move on to price. “What we try and do is consult at a business-to-business level, helping customers to streamline all of their processes through data and workflow solutions. We start looking at reducing the overall cost of bringing a book to market, rather than just the cost of printing it. If you look through individual jobs to understand the business issues behind them and what the customer is trying to achieve, it opens up a lot of opportunities.”
  1. Use automation to your advantage – Halstan found that by increasing automation, quality, consistency, speed to market and accuracy all improved. In addition, errors from manual handling were drastically reduced. This freed up Rupert’s time to spend with customers, demonstrating his knowledge in print. “We’re having conversations with publishers about stock reduction, print on demand, removing warehouses, producing personalised books, taking over inplants, outputting in multiple locations.”
  1. Be bolder in your approach to market – Halstan attracted about 15 new customers through their new social media channels as a result of a targeted marketing campaign during the pandemic. This demonstrated the importance of an established company staying up to date with marketing trends and not shying away from the latest technologies so they could reach new audiences.

By streamlining their processes and continuing to evolve their offering in line with market demand, Halstan can spend more time understanding each customer’s individual business and what they are looking to achieve with print. Switching their focus to how they can be consultative in conversations with their clients, they have boosted their business by offering more creative solutions. The result? A strong track record of over 100 years in print and loyal customers who keep coming back for more!

It’s a pertinent reminder that print is not just about product, and process optimisation is not just about gaining production efficiencies. Success can follow when you free up expert resources within your business to spot opportunities, nurture relationships and cultivate growth.

[1] Source: Canon Insight Report, Creating Customer Value, 2020 (http://bit.ly/3UDz4pC).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

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Events

As global power structures shift, Invest Africa convenes The Africa Debate 2026 to redefine partnership in a changing world

Published

2 days ago

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February 6, 2026

By

Debate

The Africa Debate 2026 will provide a platform for this essential, era-defining discussion, convening leaders to explore how Africa and its partners can build more balanced, resilient and sustainable models of cooperation

LONDON, United Kingdom, February 5, 2026/APO Group/ –As African economies assert greater agency in a rapidly evolving global order, Invest Africa (www.InvestAfrica.com) is delighted to announce The Africa Debate 2026, its flagship investment forum, taking place at the historic Guildhall in London on 3 June 2026.

Now in its 12th year, The Africa Debate has established itself as London’s premier platform for African investment dialogue since launching in 2014, convening over 800 global decision-makers annually to shape the future of trade, finance, investment, and development across the continent.

Under the theme “Redefining Partnership: Navigating a World in Transition”, this year’s forum will focus on Africa’s response to global economic realignment with greater agency, ambition and economic sovereignty.

The Africa Debate puts Africa’s priorities at the centre of the conversation, moving beyond traditional narratives to focus on ownership, resilience and long-term value creation.

“Volatility is not new to Africa. What is changing is the opportunity to respond with greater agency and ambition,” says Invest Africa CEO Chantelé Carrington.

“This year’s edition of The Africa Debate asks how we strengthen economic sovereignty — from access to capital and investment to financial and industrial policy — so African economies can take greater ownership of their growth. Success will be defined by how effectively we turn disruption into leverage and partnership into shared value.”

The Africa Debate 2026 will provide a platform for this essential, era-defining discussion, convening leaders to explore how Africa and its partners can build more balanced, resilient and sustainable models of cooperation.

Key challenges driving the debate

Core focus areas for this year’s edition of The Africa Debate include:

This year’s edition of The Africa Debate asks how we strengthen economic sovereignty — from access to capital and investment to financial and industrial policy

Global Realignment & New Partnerships

How shifting geopolitical and economic power structures are reshaping Africa’s global partnerships, trade dynamics and investment landscape.

Financing Africa’s Future

The growing need to reform the global financial architecture, new approaches to development finance, as well as the strengthening of market access and financial resilience of African economies in a changing global system.

Strategic Value Chains

Moving beyond primary exports to build local value chains in critical minerals for the green economy. Also addressing Africa’s energy access gap and mobilising investment in renewable and transitional energy systems.

Digital Transformation & Technology

Unlocking growth in fintech, AI and digital infrastructure to drive productivity, inclusion, and the next phase of Africa’s economic transformation.

The Africa Debate 2026 offers a unique platform for high-level dialogue, deal-making, and strategic engagement. Attendees will gain actionable insights from leading policymakers, investors and business leaders shaping Africa’s economic future, while building strategic partnerships that define the continent’s next growth phase.

Registration is now open (http://apo-opa.co/46b19gj).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Invest Africa.

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Business

Zion Adeoye terminated as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CLG due to serious personal and professional conduct violations

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2 days ago

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February 6, 2026

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CLG

After a thorough internal and external investigation, along with a disciplinary hearing chaired by Sbongiseni Dube, CLG (https://CLGglobal.com) has made the decision to terminate Zion Adeoye due to serious personal and professional conduct violations. This process adhered to the Code of Good Practice of the Labour Relations Act, ensuring fairness, transparency, and compliance with South African law.

Mr. Adeoye has been held accountable for several serious offenses, including:

  • Making malicious and defamatory statements against colleagues
  • Extortion
  • Intimidation
  • Fraud
  • Misuse of company funds
  • Theft and misappropriation of funds
  • Breach of fiduciary duty
  • Mismanagement

His actions are in direct contradiction to our firm’s core values. We do not approve of attorneys spending time in a Gentleman’s Club. CLG deeply regrets the impact this situation has had on our colleagues and continues to provide full support to those affected.

We want to express our gratitude to those who spoke up and to reassure everyone at the firm of our unwavering commitment to maintaining a respectful workplace. Misconduct of any kind is unacceptable and will be addressed decisively.

We recognize the seriousness of this matter and have referred it to the appropriate law enforcement, regulatory, and legal authorities in Nigeria, Mauritius, and South Africa. We kindly ask that the privacy of the third party involved be respected.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of CLG.

 

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Business

The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) Strengthens Partnership with the Republic of Djibouti through US$35 Million Financing Facility

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2 days ago

on

February 6, 2026

By

ITFC

This facility forms part of the US$600 million, three-year Framework Agreement signed in May 2023 between ITFC and the Republic of Djibouti, reflecting the strong and growing partnership between both parties

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, February 5, 2026/APO Group/ –The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (https://www.ITFC-IDB.org), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, has signed a US$35 million sovereign financing facility with the Republic of Djibouti to support the development of the country’s bunkering services sector and strengthen its position as a strategic regional maritime and trade hub.

The facility was signed at the ITFC Headquarters in Jeddah by Eng. Adeeb Yousuf Al-Aama, Chief Executive Officer of ITFC, and H.E. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of Industry of the Republic of Djibouti.

The financing facility is expected to contribute to Djibouti’s economic growth and revenue diversification by reinforcing the competitiveness and attractiveness of the Djibouti Port as a “one-stop port” offering comprehensive vessel-related services. With Red Sea Bunkering (RSB) as the Executing Agency, the facility will support the procurement of refined petroleum products, thus boosting RSB’s bunkering operations, enhancing revenue diversification, and consolidating Djibouti’s role as a key logistics and trading hub in the Horn of Africa and the wider region.

We look forward to deepening this partnership, creating new opportunities, and leveraging collaborative programs to advance key sectors and drive sustainable economic growth

Commenting on the signing, Eng. Adeeb Yousuf Al-Aama, CEO of ITFC, stated:

“This financing reflects ITFC’s continued commitment to supporting Djibouti’s strategic development priorities, particularly in strengthening energy security, port competitiveness, and trade facilitation. We are proud to deepen our partnership with the Republic of Djibouti and contribute to sustainable economic growth and regional integration.”

H.E. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of Industry of the Republic of Djibouti, commented: “Today’s signing marks an important milestone in the development of Djibouti’s bunkering services and reflects our strong and valued partnership with ITFC, particularly in the oil and gas sector. This collaboration supports our ambition to position Djibouti as a regional hub for integrated maritime and logistics services. We look forward to deepening this partnership, creating new opportunities, and leveraging collaborative programs to advance key sectors and drive sustainable economic growth.”

This facility forms part of the US$600 million, three-year Framework Agreement signed in May 2023 between ITFC and the Republic of Djibouti, reflecting the strong and growing partnership between both parties.

Since its inception in 2008, ITFC and the Republic of Djibouti have maintained a strong partnership, with a total of US$1.8 billion approved primarily supporting the country’s energy sector and trade development objectives.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).

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