This Week in Imaging: How Katun is Trying to Beat the Well-Established Copier/MFP Brands
This week, Katun marked an important anniversary – last year, the company made a splash when it announced its dealers and distributors would be selling Arivia copier/MFPs sourced from Fujifilm Business Innovation. This marked the first time Katun, a U.S.-based supplier of printer imaging supplies, entered the office copier/MFP market.
Katun has not released sales figures, but we can look at how the company has tried to set itself apart from other well-established brands.
First, it’s using a strong distribution network, as the company has a global network of some 8,000 dealer and distributor partners that it’s served for over 45 years with printer-imaging supplies.
Second, instead of outspending major OEMs on marketing, Katun is leveraging its reputation and channel-exclusive model to provide its partners with a strong, high-margin alternative.
Third, unlike many OEMs that also sell direct to end-users, Katun has committed to selling Arivia exclusively through its dealer channel. This eliminates the risk for dealers of being undercut by their own manufacturer.
Fourth, Katun has been working with its dealers for some 45 years, already earning their trust for reliability.
To assist dealers, the company also launched the “Katalyst Partner Portal,” a dedicated hub that gives dealers easy access to sales, marketing, and technical support resources.
Focus on Simplicity
Another way the company is said to differ from competitors is by focusing on simplicity, from sales to service, making everything simple and transparent for its dealers and their customers
To address common dealer pain points, Katun has simplified the number of stock-keeping units (SKUs) to streamline inventory management, training, and support. For the Arivia MFPs, Katun offers transparent pricing with upfront discounts and has eliminated the typical quotas or complex incentives required by some competitors.
Katun also says it appeals to dealers by highlighting the potential for greater profit margins on both hardware and supplies.
Focus on Reliability and Features
Last, Arivia MFPs themselves are said to offer these advantages:
- Essential features standard: Arivia MFPs come standard with features often offered as options by OEMs, including a dual-sided single-scan document feeder, PostScript support, and enhanced security.
- Wide software compatibility: Arivia MFPs integrate with key managed print services (MPS) platforms like ECI’s Printanista, PaperCut MF, and MPS Monitor.
Katun’s share in the market at this point is likely very small, but that’s likely to grow. For instance, keep in mind that at one point, HP Inc. had virtually no share in the A3 MFP market, but is now a significant player.
This Week in Imaging
Office Copier/MFPs and Printers
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New Next-Gen Brother Printers Feature Triple Security, Eco-Friendly Packaging, More
Commercial and Industrial Printing
Canon Enters Corrugated-Package Printing Market with corrPRESS iB177
Fujifilm Adds New Distributor in Canada for Production Print
Fujifilm Brings Acuity TR Wide-Format Printer and Aquafuze Inks to the U.S.
Marketing
HP’s New Ad Campaign Riffs on Iconic ‘Office Space’ Movie
Legal Briefs
HP Wins Lawsuit Involving Firmware Updates Locking Out Ink Cartridges
Other News
Loffler Companies to Serve Xerox Direct Customers in Midwest
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