3D Printing Brand Popularity Report (Insights from Q3 2024)

Lyncy 2024-12-2 15:42 News

The 3D printing industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, marking an era where technological advancements and reduced operational barriers have made consumer-grade 3D printing devices more accessible to households. This expansion of the consumer base has resulted in a larger market scale, prompting manufacturers to enhance their research and development efforts to offer more cost-effective 3D printing solutions, creating a positive feedback loop within the industry.

This report seeks to identify which brands have garnered the most attention and favor among consumers, utilizing public data as our primary source of information. Our focus encompasses a range of products, including consumer-grade 3D printers (with some brands also offering industrial-grade options), consumables, 3D scanners, and laser engraving machines. It is important to note that public data may not perfectly align with actual figures and should be considered as a reference.

1. Brand awareness

Consumers typically conduct online research to understand and compare brands and products before making purchasing decisions. We assess consumer interest in brands using three key metrics: Google search volume, Amazon search volume, and website organic traffic volume.

1.1 Google Search Volume

Google remains the most widely used search engine among consumers. Our data, sourced from Google Trends, reflects relative values rather than absolute figures.

The top ten brands in terms of Google search volume are Creality, Bambu Lab, Anycubic, Elegoo, Prusa, xTool, Flashforge, QIDI Tech, VORON, and Ultimaker.

Within this ranking, Creality and Bambu Lab form the first tier, followed by Anycubic, Elegoo, and Prusa in the second tier. The remaining brands exhibit a noticeable gap in Google search volume .

1.2 Amazon Search Volume

As the largest global e-commerce platform, Amazon's brand search volume serves as an indicator of brand loyalty among consumers. Our data is provided by AsinSight.

Notably, the search volume for the laser engraving machine brand xTool exceeds that of various 3D printer brands, suggesting a growing user base for laser engraving machines. This trend explains why several 3D printing brands have diversified into laser engraving products.

Among 3D printing brands, Bambu Lab, Creality, Elegoo, Anycubic, MatterHackers/Pulse, Flashforge, Ankermake, Prusa, QIDI Tech, and SOVOL rank in the top ten. A significant disparity exists between the top five and bottom five brands in this list.

It is noteworthy that Bambu Lab ranks first in search volume despite not having an official store on Amazon.

The search volume from various Amazon sites provides insight into the market landscape of each region and highlights the strategic focus of each brand. Analysis of search volume distribution across major Amazon sites reveals that the United States leads the 3D printing market with a distinct advantage. Other important markets include Germany, the UK, Canada, Italy, Japan, and France. The United States, Germany, and Canada are particularly competitive markets for these brands.

1.3 Website Organic Traffic

Consumer visits to a brand's website signify direct engagement with the brand, often reflecting a more personal connection. The organic traffic data for brand websites is derived from Similarweb's metrics on Direct and Organic Search.

Analysis reveals that Bambu Lab leads significantly in terms of website organic traffic, with Prusa and Creality occupying the second and third positions, respectively. The organic traffic for other brands is substantially lower, with minimal differences observed between them.

Notably, the website traffic for Prusa and Ultimaker surpasses their rankings in Google Search Volume and Amazon search volume, suggesting strong user engagement and loyalty.

Unlike its competitors, Bambu Lab does not operate an official store on Amazon, focusing instead on promoting its website. Users find it advantageous to access 3D models from Bambu Lab’s official community for 3D printing, contributing to the establishment of a self-sustaining ecosystem.

While creating a closed-loop ecosystem is beneficial, it necessitates that the product possesses a distinct competitive edge and appeal. Evidently, Bambu Lab demonstrates confidence in its offerings, supported by favorable performance metrics.

2. Product awareness

Products are the cornerstone of any brand, serving as the direct touchpoint with consumers. Only exceptional products can capture and sustain consumer interest and loyalty.

Our analysis of consumer awareness towards specific 3D printing products is based on two key metrics: Google search volume and Amazon search volume. Given the recent launch of several products, we have utilized the most current data available from October, 2024.

The Bambu Lab A1 leads significantly over its competitors. The Creality K1 secures the second position, showcasing a notable gap from other products in the market. Prusa's various models also perform commendably, maintaining a balanced presence in both Google search popularity and Amazon search

volume.

The primary offerings from Bambu Lab, Creality, and Prusa adhere to the FDM technology pathway. In contrast, products utilizing LCD printing technology, such as those from Anycubic and Elegoo, cater to a more niche market segment.

Despite not having an official store on Amazon, Bambu Lab's products exhibit a substantial search volume on the platform. Brands like AnkerMake, QIDI TECH, SOVOL, and ELEGOO demonstrate a higher Amazon search volume compared to Google search popularity, indicating a predominant reliance on the Amazon platform for sales.

3. 3D Printing Community

The 3D printing community serves as a dynamic platform where users can exchange designs and ideas, fostering a collaborative environment for learning and communication. Brands can stimulate user engagement through initiatives such as design competitions, which not only bolster user loyalty but also provide valuable feedback for product enhancement.

User activity within these communities can be gauged by examining the organic traffic of associated brands. Prusa and Ultimaker stand out with high website traffic and robust user activity, partly attributed to their proprietary communities.

Analyzing the average monthly organic traffic over the first three quarters reveals that Thingiverse under Ultimaker and Printables under Prusa occupy the first and second positions, although both have experienced a decline.

Makerworld, affiliated with Bambu Lab, ranks fourth with an impressive growth of 21.54%. Meanwhile, Crealitycloud under Creality places seventh but shows a decrease in traffic. MakeitReal under Ankermake has grown by 27.34%, albeit from a smaller traffic base. It is important to note that the model community makerworld.com.cn, catering to Chinese customers under Bambu Lab, is not included in these statistics.

4. Advertising

In the context of brand engagement and consumer loyalty, multiple factors contribute to capturing user attention and fostering affection for a brand. Beyond the intrinsic quality of products and services, a brand's promotional strategies play a pivotal role. Analyzing the U.S. market, Bambu Lab emerges as a leader in social media advertising. The company adopts an ecological closed-loop approach, offering premium products that enable substantial profit margins. These profits, in turn, fund extensive marketing initiatives, creating a sustainable cycle of growth and market penetration.

Regarding advertising allocations, 56% of consumer-grade 3D printing brands' expenditures are channeled towards Facebook, followed by Instagram at 16%, with the remainder dispersed across other social media platforms.

Data provided by Sensor Tower

Bambu Lab's investment strategy aligns with these industry trends, with a notable 66% directed towards Content-wise, Bambu Lab predominantly focuses its video marketing on the features and capabilities of its printers. In contrast, competitors tend to highlight more engaging aspects of the printing process itself.