Thousands of advertisers clamor for consumers’ precious time each day. These messages bombard their eyes and ears, each screaming for a few sacred seconds of attention. Catalogs compete for the same consideration, scattered amidst omnipresent television commercials, the Internet and whatever pops up on their smartphones. Once we get a catalog into their hands, how […]
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 […]
We all know that consumer behavior is changing rapidly. Yet, when reviewing their prior season, many merchants continue to look at the same metrics year after year. In addition, merchants look at these metrics the exact same way every year. Merchants may be missing opportunities as customers have definitely changed their way of interacting with […]
As we all know, it is imperative to stop consumers and get their attention before we can influence their behavior patterns. The good news is that for customer retention, you have a real advantage with your customers. Your brand itself gives you a head start over the competition. As long as you nurture this critical […]
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 […]
Here’s a depressing stat: About 80% of catalogs received in the mail get thrown away without so much as a peek inside the cover. So after all the planning, list segmentation, careful consideration of product mix and offers, design and costs, a vast majority of catalogs go directly to the recycle bin. Ouch. Considering the […]
Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion asserts that for every action, there is a reaction. Who knew that the laws of classical mechanics Newton discovered nearly 400 years ago could apply to multichannel marketing? Had Newton been referring to modern marketing, he might have reworded the law as “For every customer action, there should […]