HP announced that it has formed a strategic relationship with Omnicom Group Inc. to drive forward the global communications strategy for the company’s Imaging and Printing Group and to develop a digital print supply chain that will streamline the creation, management and printing of marketing campaign materials.

HP also announced that Omnicom’s BBDO will join its sister agency, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, in continuing to evolve the company’s award-winning “What do you have to say?”

A print transformation

As part of its relationship with HP, Omnicom will use the company’s technology and services – provided through HP’s network of print service providers – to transform the way it currently implements marketing campaigns on behalf of its clients.

The companies envision a digital print supply chain that will both streamline workflows and offer on-demand printing for direct mail pieces, packaging, marketing collateral, point of sale materials and traditional advertising – including print ads, billboards and building wraps.

This web-based solution set will enable Omnicom and its clients to better manage documents, track individual projects, reduce printing duplication and waste, and gain visibility into marketing spends. Additionally, HP’s services and software will be used to provide variable data publishing capabilities for these new offerings. This will allow clients to more effectively reach customers with better personalized information that is targeted, timely, accurate and, as a result, more compelling and actionable.

Omnicom and HP will collaborate to pilot the digital print supply chain with several multi-national brands in 2008. By taking advantage of this solution set, Omnicom’s agencies and their clients are expected to be able to reduce their printing costs while increasing the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.