The move is the result of the growing trend towards the "de-coupling of marketing production" in the television and digital marketing arenas, which could represent a major threat to print managers.
Although specialist production management companies have been around for some time in print, they are still fairly new across other media channels.
However, the need for PM-style operators in these sectors to drive efficiencies and cost savings has resulted in a race to be the first to be able to offer a one-stop shop for cross-channel marketing production.
Jon Goulding, chief executive of Gutenberg Networks UK, said that global creative networks, such as Omnicom and WPP, and print managers, such as Williams Lea and RR Donnelley, have been struggling with this issue for some time.
"It’s a threat for the print managers because their clients are asking them for broader skills across different channels," he said.
"The networks already have access to a broader range of production skills. However, they have historically found it difficult to pull them all together."
Gutenberg Networks already has hubs in seven countries across continental Europe and its UK headquarters, in Tower Bridge, has been launched with high profile clients including Unilever and Philips.
Goulding said that the business was set up to partner with other Omnicom Group subsidiaries from the agency side when they were asked to tender for production work.
"We’re there as a resource to pitch with, rather than those companies try to win against the likes of a Williams Lea or a TAG with their own in-house production team," he said.
"If the networks are able to pull everything together then their collective production spend and buying power is much bigger than any sector specific production specialist in the world.
"That will allow them to offer greater value to their customers and that is what we’re all trying to do."
GUTENBERG NETWORKS
UK chief executive Jon Goulding
Global staff 750
Offices London, Paris, Warsaw, Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, Tunis, Vienna, Bucharest
Services integrated marketing production across broadcasting, web, pre-press and print
Agencies and PMs race to offer a one-stop production shop
Omnicom Group-subsidiary Gutenberg Networks has opened its first UK office as part of the ongoing expansion of its global production network in a move that could herald the next evolution of print management.
