In a digital-facing world, any brand would be smart to think twice before adding print into the mix. And yet, several times a month we get inquiries from wholesale companies or online brands interested in testing mail for the first time. What would compel them to consider print? They reach out because they understand that, […]
Over the last several years, we’ve seen catalogs come and go. And we’ve seen many retailers jump into the game, spend a LOT of money (we’re talking tens of millions of dollars) and then abandon the model after a couple of seasons. This literally breaks my heart and makes me want to scream! Why does […]
Part 2: Marketing Sustainability How is your brand committed to sustainability? How are you communicating that to your audience? More and more, consumers are making their voices heard. They care about the environment, and they want the brands they support to share that concern. As marketers, we have a responsibility not only to this audience […]
I’m in awe at the number of brands who are jumping on the idea that catalogs provide a larger opportunity to not just sell products, but to engage both prospects and customers on a more meaningful level. I’m equally amazed at the number of brands, especially those that have been mailing for decades, who have […]
Catalog marketers have been combining marketing with technology (MarTech) since the Internet was moving on 14.4kb modems. Let’s explore how catalogers pioneered this movement and are still leaders today. Catalogers discovered the raw power of large amounts of transactional data, and became the early adopters of scoring models. Catalogers developed models and still lead the […]
People don’t like to be sold to. Too many brands only sell; they only try to convince people to buy, buy, buy. But that’s not what customers want to hear. If you want to connect to people on a more emotional level, tell them your story. Tell them what you stand for, where you came […]
Last week Toys R Us closed their remaining stores, bringing a sad end to a 70-year old brand. In the final days of the store closings, for a brief time the top link on Reddit was a strangely poignant image of Geoffrey the Giraffe standing next to empty store shelves, waving goodbye. In the comments […]
Lois Brayfield, J.Schmid CEO, and Debbie Roth, Japs-Olson Company VP Sales & Marketing, offer their take on the catalog and direct mail industry in the recently published DMA Statistical Fact Book 2018. Learn more about this valuable resource packed with recent research for all marketing tactics here. According to the stats, recipients of direct mail […]
Oh my. I just read an article about the future of search marketing called “What Amazon Echo and Google Home mean for online retailers.” The next thing I see is a UPS package on my doorstep with “voice shopping with Alexa and Echo” printed right above “Prime” on the packing tape that seals the box. […]
