Start The Presses: The Resurrection of Print Catalogs

If you've been following your competition, it should be no surprise that catalogs are back in a big way. Once considered old fashioned, many major brands - including top retailers - are going back to the books to attract new customers. What started as a kitsch trend to appeal to hipsters and tactile-loving indie shoppers has caught on once again with everyone from millenials to boomers.

So what's inspiring this sudden return to traditional marketing?

According to Harvard Business Review, it may simply be a sign of the improving economy.

But then the Great Recession hit, and retailers looking to trim their expenditures cut catalog budgets.  With the concurrent rise in online sales and marketing, print media seemed like a waste.  Although some holdouts remained (notably, Patagonia and Brookstone), catalog circulation continued to decline for the next several years.  According to the DMA, in 2012 mailings dropped to its lowest level since it began collecting annual data in 2001.The recent resurgence in the popularity of catalogs raises questions about their value and long-term viability.  Is the latest rebirth of the catalog merely a reflection of the Great Recession’s conclusion? Will they once again fall out of fashion at the first sign of softness in the market?

We have a somewhat more optimistic view. Here are our top three reasons catalogs are back in style:

1. Brands that utilize all marketing channels are more successful than those that limit themselves to one area.

This shouldn't be surprising, right? The more audiences you speak to, the greater your chances of success.

2. Catalogs provide consumers with a physical reminder of your brand.

Emails can be deleted easily. Social media posts can be hidden and ignored. Catalogs are a physical object. Even if consumers are immediately discarding a catalog, they are still pulling it out of a mailbox, looking at it, and carrying it somewhere else. The more time they spend with that book, the more likely they are to open it.

3. Catalogs feel more valuable than digital communications.

Today's consumer knows that printed materials aren't free. A brand that puts the time and investment into developing a catalog (particularly one that feels tailored to the consumer) is a brand showcasing their value and worth to the people that receive it. It makes your brand feel more real, more trustworthy, than digital-only competitors.

So, what do you think is causing this resurgence of catalog marketing? When you're ready to print your own, give us a call - we've got the experience to lead you through this new (old) trend.

The Word of the Day: Integrate

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: The secret to marketing success is cohesion. Ensuring that your print, digital, social, and even broadcast advertising acts as a cohesive unit is both the most important, and most complicated, aspect of your marketing strategy.

Today, we’re going to look at building cohesion between two marketing tactics on opposite sides of that spectrum: Social Media, and Print Marketing.

Adding Social Media to Your Print Marketing

Despite all of the predictions, complaints, and marketing criticisms, Social Media has proven that it isn’t going away any time soon. Consumers are more active on social channels today than they ever have been before. In fact, many marketing experts claim that social media has given consumers control over your brand, and that social advocacy is the real secret to winning word-of-mouth business in the new marketplace.

But how can you incorporate social into an ongoing marketing plan?

Your customers can be your best sellers, so why not put them to work for you. Select a few online reviews of your product or service from your Facebook or Twitter page, and include them on your next mailer. Not only will this help show off your existing brand advocates, but it will help drive traffic back to your social media channels – and thus to your website.

Adding Print Marketing to Your Social Media

There’s a reason the hashtag is still such a popular tool. It’s easy to use, it’s universally-recognized, and it’s the easiest way to add a social component to any marketing piece.

Including a branded hashtag or Twitter handle on printed flyers, bumper stickers, postcards, or envelopes gives people new ways to interact with your brand. Even if a consumer doesn’t remember your website URL from that sticker they saw on the back of a Jeep in a parking lot, chances are they’ll remember your hashtag.

Now that you’ve got their attention, your social media channels do the rest – pushing out branded messaging that users can engage with on their own time.

The Perfectly Planned Direct Mail Timeline

Gearing up for a new direct mail campaign? As we’re sure you know, there is a lot that needs to happen between the time you settle on a new campaign and the minute that mailer hits the mailbox. With so many moving pieces, launching a new campaign can quickly become overwhelming. The best way to reduce stress and stay on track? A perfectly planned timeline for your direct mail campaign.

Here’s how:

1.) Keep Seasonality in Mind

Timing is everything. Think about the product you’re promoting. Would it best be served at a certain time of you or in a particular season? Heating an insulation services, for example, are best marketed just as the weather starts to cool down. Always keep seasonality, as well as holidays, in mind.

2.) Think Outside the Envelope

Roughly four months from the time you plan to send your new mailers, set aside some time for a solid brainstorming session. What are the goals of your campaign? Is there a promotion or event you can organize to help you attain it? Do you want to use a unique feature or freemiums to draw attention to your mailer? Get creative and take good notes!

3.) Spend Some Time with Your Database

Here’s a fun-filled fact you may not have known - it costs roughly six times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an old one. So, don’t limit yourself, and your chances of success, to strictly new audiences. It’s important to make sure any and all past customers are included on your mailing list. If enhancing that database is simply too overwhelming or time consuming for you, no problem! A qualified professional can help you create a comprehensive list and find the most cost effective way to deliver your pieces.

4.) The Early Bird Gets the Win

At least two months in advance of the target delivery date, get in touch with a professional print company. You don’t want to wait until the last minute and risk missing the target delivery date, or worse yet, compromising quality in order to meet time constraints! The success of your mail campaign relies on perfect timing, and that means timely delivery of mailing lists, due dates, target delivery dates, and artwork sent in a compatible format. It takes time to review those materials and generate a time estimate.

5.) Review the Blueline More Than Once

After receiving your artwork and files, you’ll receive a blueline and color proof that will need to be reviewed and approved. It is vital that you set aside a good amount of time to thoroughly review it, because any errors on the blueline will end up on your printed materials. Pay attention to everything you see – copy, line breaks, page breaks, borders and cropping. Aim to have the blueline reviewed and approved about 45 days before it’s due to be sent out.

6. Gather, Measure, Repeat

Once your mailers hit the post truck, the tough part is over and done. Congratulations, you did it! Now all that’s left to do is measure the response rates. You can expect the biggest boom in the first two weeks after delivery, but leads may trickle in for up to six months afterward. Use your measurements to gauge how successful your campaign was and how you can use those results to improve your next one.

How do you organize a campaign timeline? If you have any other tips or suggestions, tell us in the comments!