Welcome. . .

Show the promise!

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 10:42:36 -0500

I wish more merchants placed a higher level of emphasis on making sure their web and catalog pages reflected what the customer is really looking for. If we see things through their eyes, we’ll find that most potential buyers are wondering, “what’s in it for me?” A fishing reel may be lightweight and high performance, but what’s better than the ultimate catch? A dress can be beautiful, but the clincher is that model who conveys a sexy, smoldering confidence. A new bread baker might have all the bells and whistles, but a steaming loaf with a crispy crust is the selling point.
Creating visuals like these means putting time aside to plan them and then create dramatic images that do more than present merchandise. These presentations may be more expensive to create, but they get noticed and build brand... and when they’re done right, they’ll ultimately sell more product!

Getting past predictable email messages that “speak to” the customer

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:15:05 -0500

I’m impressed and intrigued when I see a different message on an email, particularly if it is really speaking to me. Let’s face it, so many of our emails are sooooo predictable. It’s hard coming up with the volume of message that we need to, week after week, month after month. The challenge will get nothing but tougher, and we need to really push ourselves to come up with new and better messages all the time. What better way than to tap into what we know our customer really likes to see?!

Our “secret” is out: customers want FREE SHIPPING!

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 09:50:00 -0500

The world is finally learning something that direct marketers have known for years: FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING can be a magic elixor. It’s just about the best (if not the best) motivator to get customers to buy.
Last week’s NY TIMES (front-page!) article: “Wal-Mart Says “Try This On”: Free Shipping” reveals how the giant retailer plans to offer free shipping on its Web site, with no minimum purchase and with no rise in price. And although the offer is planned to go only until December 20th, Wal-Mart is talking about other free-shipping deals.
What does this mean for direct marketers? It means more competition and challenge ahead, especially for smaller companies who have S&H costs that take a bigger bite out of their cost. It mean consumers will be seeing some very similar messages every time they turn around.
It means that we have to depend even more so on our creativity and the intelligence we gain from collecting information. We need to maximize every touchpoint with the customer and never waste an opportunity to brand build and drive business.
If you haven’t yet done it, it’s time to challenge yourself and your team to work smarter than ever, to be more effective with creative and branding efforts, in order to keep ahead in a very challenging world.

B.O.R.I.N.G!!!

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:43:36 -0500

What is the matter with some of our catalog designers? Can they not think of anything except for a wreath, stockings or a Christmas tree at this time of year? And what’s worse is that executives are accepting this work! (Or sadder, that the powers that be actually recommend that the holiday cover(s) be tried-and-true, believing that it’s the “safe” way to go.)
But the expected is NOT safer. The least safe thing you can do is put a catalog in the mail that doesn’t stand out. Seasonality is important, but if a cover doesn’t exude (or at least reflect) who you are, what’s the point? The biggest mistake you can make is to downplay the importance of the cover.
I bet if you put your hand over any of these logos above, you would not have a clue who they came from!
There are many, many ways to create powerful covers. Of course the actual solution is different for each company and the strategy behind the creative needs to take into account product, positioning, price point, brand identity, offer and contact strategy. But think of all the the ways you can get better covers! Emotion. Drama. Lifestyle. Taste. Illustration. Humor. Aspiration.   Creative talent needs to be challenged to produce ideas outside the box. They need a meaningful creative brief. They need time. If you’re really jammed for time or talent, there are always outside resource options, in the form of experienced art directors, consultants and agencies.
There’s no excuse for a lackluster cover!

Is it snowing yet?

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

If you’re not planning creative for the holiday season you’re going to be sorry! Why do people wait for the last minute? (There’s too much to do, that’s why!)
The fourth quarter is the most productive season for most marketers. How efficiently you are planning now, will translate into desired results later.
Is it time for a brainstorming meeting that will kick-off the process?  What did you learn from last year that you want to fix or continue? What do you anticipate for this year that needs to be addressed? What’s your budget? Where are you shooting? Have you booked desired talent, including models? Are you creating concepts for your covers and interior pages that allow you to explore drama, new ideas and alternate presentations?  Has creative gotten a glimpse of the new product and have you planned pagination?
Answering these questions and others can help you plan better and create a much more effective holiday catalog!

The Top 10 Covers of the past Decade

Tue, 1 Jun 2010 12:30:03 -0400

You can imagine what my office looks like if I am able to look through 10 years of favorite catalogs in order to find covers for this months MultiChannelMerchant article: The Top 10 Catalog Covers of the past Decade.
What I realized when I went through my piles is that we’re just not taking the same risks we used to. We’re deferring to safety and what we’ve done before with our catalog covers.
The other thing I noticed is that we’re trying to do too much. I’m certainly a big advocate of getting pages to “work hard”. But I also know that too much becomes hard to digest and “comprehend at a glance”. Sometimes, as they say, less is more.
See full article in Multichannel Merchant.