A catalog company recently asked my opinion on cutting the number of pages in their catalog by more than half in order to save money. It’s a common question. The logic is that a website can feature your full product line, while a catalog cannot, so why not just refer people to the website? More and more orders are coming through the web anyway, so why go to the expense of printing a big, fat catalog?
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Catalogs
Do You Make These Mistakes In Guarantees?
Our last post outlined the wide variety of guarantee policies among the Garden Watchdog Top 30 companies that sell live plants. A handful had no stated guarantee, while another handful guaranteed their plants forever. The vast majority put some kind of condition on refunds or credits. While that’s certainly understandable, many could have chosen their words better. Here’s a sampling of the guarantees that might give customers pause: (Click on the headline for more…)
A Pointer on How to Ask for Copy and Design Changes
How do you handle asking copywriters and designers for changes on work they’re doing for you? Here’s an example of what not to do. (Click on the headline for more…)
A Provocative Look at How Catalogs Must Evolve
At the recent NEMOA conference, Andrew Davis of Tipping Point Labs gave an information-packed presentation on The Social Media Tipping Point: Monetizing Incremental Commerce. I found Davis’ common sense approach to today’s “social media madness” (the NEMOA program guide’s words, not mine) refreshing. So it was with great interest that I read his take on how catalogs need to evolve in order to stay viable. (Click on the headline for more…)
Competitive Advantages Ready for the Taking
At the recent NEMOA conference, David Solomon, head of Lazard Middle Market’s Specialty Retail and Direct marketing Group, gave an excellent presentation on Creating Value in the New Economy. He emphasized how dramatically consumers’ decision-making processes have changed in recent years, and how successful merchants must adapt their marketing strategies as a result. Among his key points: (Click on the headline for more…)
