In this webinar, J.Schmid CEO Lois Brayfield discusses how brands can get prospects to take action. Rather than focusing on arrogant ‘Follow us’ and ‘Like us’ strategies, Lois outlines how companies can create powerful calls to action and turn prospects into customers. Specifically, this webinar covers: • How to quickly connect with your audience • […]
AdNation News interviews Lois Brayfield, President of the direct marketing agency J. Schmid & Assoc. Inc. about the continued relevance of print catalogs in providing a “call to action” in this digital age. Direct marketing is older than our country itself; Benjamin Franklin published “a scientific catalog, complete with a guarantee,” Brayfield says. Many thought […]
On an episode of AMC’s “Mad Men,” the irascible and ubiquitously intoxicated Roger Sterling prods the precocious Peggy Olsen to hire a new copywriter. Peggy cringes, concerned that the potential new Mad Man might be a little, well, mad. “Define crazy for a copywriter,” Roger retorts. “Sleeps all day? Disrespectful of authority? Drunk half the […]
Customers … why don’t they just do what we want? That would make direct marketing so much easier, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. In today’s marketing climate—with so many choices, technological devices and brand messages bombarding the senses—it’s more difficult than ever to get customers to do anything, let alone what you want […]
Almost every marketer introduced a QR code, or at least toyed with the idea, in 2011. But have these two-dimensional Quick Response codes really moved the needle in terms of customer engagement? They are certainly easy and inexpensive to create, but merchants—in their rush to adopt the newest tactic—may be missing opportunities to acquire new […]
J.C. Penney is joining the ranks of legacy brands that have gone stale but willing to change the rules rather than follow the pack. Like a gecko changing the way people think about insurance or Apple changing the way we think about music, J.C. Penney is changing the way customers think about pricing. Keeping it […]
Catalogs today are about much more than selling products in print. They need to be compelling engagement tools that reinforce the brand, build customer relationships, stimulate desire and solve problems. A great catalog creates a “desire dance” — that stirring of interest that leads the reader deeper into the brand and down the path to […]
The art of brand building still remains a mystery to many companies. During these tough economic times, business leaders are searching for ways to grow their brands, expand their reach and influence their bottom lines. Retailers need to reach more people with more products, more often. Human nature tells us the best way to grow […]
Ever since the first order came over the Internet, people have been predicting the eventual death of the print catalog. Yet for many multichannel merchants, especially those brands that began as catalogs, this predictable and proven tactic continues to generate sales. It’s also key to file retention. In fact, several noncatalog brands are beginning to […]