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 […]
Two J.Schmid clients recently made dramatic — and successful—changes to their catalog programs. Take a look at these case studies! Case Study #1 Challenge: A B2B marketer offering innovative merchandising solutions had a mature catalog program. Management’s goal was to transition marketing dollars to ecommerce and grow catalog sales. Solution: J.Schmid recommended a two-pronged approach. […]
Millennial Schmillennial! Why is everyone rushing to grab this elusive customer group when we are about to experience the largest wave of spending power to ever hit the market? I’m talking about the aging Baby Boomers who have become empty nesters, are retiring and are more mobile than ever. Consider the silver lining: There are […]
We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog post to bring you a chilling tale of Halloween horror. But all is not what it seems. For between the screams lies a cautionary lesson for marketers. Read on, if you dare… A rusty hinge creaks, its metal scream cuts through the howling wind. You feel a cold drop […]
Forget going to the gym more often or eating better or any other resolutions you’ll abandon by mid-February. I’ve made a list of New Year’s resolutions for 2017 … and they’re all about catalogs. Ignore any proclamations of catalogs going away. They’re still here. They’re still relevant. And they can be better than ever. Because […]
Admitting it is the first step to re-cover-y. Look at your most recent catalog cover. Really look at it. Imagine it was the first time you were ever seeing it. Would it get your attention? Would it make you want to stop and open it? Or…and be honest…does your cover suck? (It’s ok. Just admit […]
I’m asked to critique catalogs on a regular basis. Assessing catalog design is important, and I’m of the belief that we can “always do better.” However, many of my comments point out small deficiencies that at the end of the day do not make a big difference in overall results. Collectively they can make a […]
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 […]
You’ve all heard the doomsayers. The plaintive wails of prognosticators, tolling the bell for our beloved medium. They shout: The end is nigh! Catalogs are obsolete! Print is dead! Might as well call it a day then. Time to find a new line of work. Pulp all your print catalogs to line your hamster cages. […]
