Screen Printing - August/September 2016 - 33

order, and pay the promoter share. They are already doing this millions of times a year. Initially, Teespring contracted out all of its production to printers across the country. Then, they built their own 105,000-square-foot facility with a reported initial install of 23 automatic presses and 37 more planned. They concentrated on building their internet platform and e-commerce ordering and payment processing. A big part of the platform was its data acquisition and analysis. The interesting thing about Teespring is that they own all the customer data, buying history, campaign history, collateral campaigns, and customer email addresses. Essentially, their promotion partners built all of that for them and pay for it with their promotion dollars. Oh, and by the way, they don't share that information with their partners. Multiple people have become millionaires using this platform, and what they have in common is that they are marketers, not decorators. Companies like CustomInk are doing it differently. They're marketing custom apparel directly to groups and organizations on a national basis. CustomInk has built a solid brand that's well-respected and followed. Until just recently, they didn't do any of their own production, contracting it out to hundreds of printers across the country. Now, they're building their own factories and bringing the work inside for themselves. In the fall of 2013, they received a $40-million investment from Revolution Growth, an investment fund headed by Steve Case, the founder of AOL, Ted Leonsis, and Donn Davis. The thing to notice about both of these companies is their control of the customer base and the data. It's very easy for them to evolve and migrate away from outside contractors. They're building brands that are recognized and respected, with each doing hundreds of millions of dollars in business. You might think, "Yeah, but they're huge and I'm just a little guy." But the vast majority of their orders are 50 pieces or less. This hits squarely into the market of every locally owned decorator. We are witnessing the rise of what the big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot did to local small retailers. To compete, you have to shift your focus from production to marketing. It's all about being able to connect with and be relevant to your customers. As attractive as it may be for your customers to do business over the internet, a big percentage of them want to do business locally, especially if you can do a better job and deliver a personal experience. You see it all the time. I can't tell you how many times printers have told me a customer comes in with a graphic they built on someone else's design website. The more you know about your customers and your market, the better your chances. You need to know the same things the new competition knows. Learn about Facebook Data and Ads Managers. Learn how to find and dominate specific niche markets. It's a different game now, especially if your business is more than 15 years old. The new generation entering the industry was raised in a digital world. They are competing on terms they understand. As hard as I've tried, I have not found one instance where digital disruption has entered a market and the old ways survived. I'm sure there are examples out there, but we are living in a world of digital Darwinism. Adapt or die. It has happened in music, photography, design, and video, and no area of our lives is immune. Consider what Uber is doing to the taxi business and Airbnb to hospitality. We are in the midst of the biggest economic shift since the Industrial Age began in the mid-1700s. There is more opportunity now than ever, but it comes at a price: Your willingness to pay attention, learn, adapt, and deliver. Teespring founded 2007 2011 Inca Onset Merch by Amazon 2013 2015 Andreessen Horowitz invests in Teespring august/september 2016 33

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