Understanding what goes into the adjustment of postage rates is like watching a computer wizard remotely dial into your computer to fix something. Until we go through the initial stage of total confusion, slog our way through understanding the basic things that make the machine run properly, and finally narrow it down to the few […]
Many catalogers today still approach their business as retailers first and marketers second. Retailers sell merchandise by focusing primarily on pricing and products. Marketers position their brands for success by introducing emotion into the mix. It’s easy to see why catalogers fall into the “price and item” trap. Consumers, when asked the reason for their […]
It’s frustrating to hear politicians talk about what they plan on doing, what their strategy is, how they’re more qualified to get things done…all without actually getting anything DONE! It’s just talk. They rarely execute any of these ideas. Unfortunately, this is also true of many brands today. Lots of great ideas, weak on execution. […]
Yes, mailing a catalog can be a powerful advertising tool. However, we realize its role has changed over the last several years. A successful catalog should DISRUPT your customer’s lives and get noticed. Once inside your catalog, it must DELIGHT with relevant products and stories that matter and finally, and most important, it must have […]
Invisible monsters, augmented reality and the future of catalogs So, how many Pokémon have you caught? You know, I used to chase invisible monsters through the park. They called me crazy. Today, everyone’s doing it. Who’s crazy now?! Pokémon GO is a legitimate pop culture phenomenon. Launched just this month, the free game app has […]
Why You Should Keep It Simple “Simple is harder than complex.” –Steve Jobs Browsing through a catalog of one of my favorite brands, I found myself completely frustrated, to the point that I eventually threw the catalog aside. Why? Because they made it hard for me to shop. We are in an era […]
In early May, British musicians Radiohead did the unthinkable: they lived up to their song title “How to Disappear Completely,” and erased themselves from the internet. Their website gradually decreased in opacity over the course of several hours, until it disappeared completely. Then, the band and its lead singer, Thom Yorke, removed all past posts, […]
There’s an old saying in marketing, “Happy customers tell three friends. Unhappy customers tell ten.” These days, with the ease of sharing on social media, those numbers are probably an understatement. The fact is the customer experience is arguably the most critical element of a brand’s success. According to a McKinsey study, 70% of buying […]
J.Schmid President and Chief Creative Officer, Brent Niemuth, shows us that even while on vacation there’s always a branding lesson to be learned – How do brands that sell a commodity product or service separate themselves from their competitors (assuming the price is the same)? Need help making your brand stand out in a commodity […]
