Vistaprint today announced its merger with 99designs. The platform provides the opportunity to launch a creative challenge. A virtual pitch where several agencies present their designs. Thus even smaller enterprises are offered a large creative spectrum. 99designs has been acquired by Cimpress plc (Nasdaq: CMPR), Vistaprint’s parent company, and will be managed as part of Vistaprint as well as an independent brand. “The driving force behind Vistaprint and 99designs is our shared passion to help small businesses,” said Robert Keane, founder and CEO of Cimpress and Vistaprint.
The combination of 99designs’ many freelance graphic designers and Vistaprint’s more than 20 million customers is intended to make it easier to obtain professional design services and marketing products. It enables the freelance designers in the 99designs network to work for Vistaprint customers.
“The 99designs professional design community is a vital element in Vistaprint’s business development throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Our customers in German-speaking countries also value the fact that they can get marketing materials, design and digital services from one source,” said Florian Baumgartner, Vistaprint’s international business manager.
A wise step by Vistaprint. With 99designs, Vistaprint and its associated brands now own the largest source of design templates on the planet. This means that 99designs’ customers not only create their own designs, but they can print them right away. Whether it’s on paper, a mug or fabric, Vistaprint is soon giving customers access to every Vistaprint product. The step is smart because 99designs is not only at home in the B2C environment, but also in the B2B environment. Touché, Robert – a good idea and a promising investment. I am curious how fast the offer will be implemented in the different stores and platforms – because that is a lot of work.
