Broker Roundtable: Are print catalogs still good for prospecting?
Welcome to Broker Roundtable, where each week we ask list brokers to give their opinions on issues that matter to the marketing community. This week’s question: Are print catalogs likely to remain a good prospecting tool for marketers?
Our current panel includes Mary Jane Acito Crenson of| ListBargains.com; Becky Hagadorn of Carney Direct; Matt Kaiser of Veradata; Leland Kroll of Kroll Direct Marketing Inc. and Linda Sandler of Adrea Rubin Marketing Inc. Would you like to be considered to be a member of our roundtable? Contact Larry Riggs ([email protected]).
Mary Jane Acito Crenson, vice president of multi-channel marketing, ListBargains.com:
Print catalogs are not going away and have a positive role in many multichannel marketing programs. The catalogs are a way for prospects and existing customers to peruse new merchandise and changes in older styles and designs. Club membership catalogs with pertinent items for sale reinforce the call to action to sign up for specific savings.
Catalogs should always offer multiple ordering options within the content. Just because a catalog is sent to the home does not mean that the responder is going to call an order in. Many prospective buyers peruse in a tactile manner and then get online or make a phone call in a time that works for them to place an order. Clients purchase response is triggered by many media and print will remain a vehicle for many shoppers.
Becky Hagadorn, vice president, new business development, Carney Direct:
Absolutely! As marketing worlds collide and channels become more and more integrated print catalogs will continue to play a vital part in the conversion process. Where else does an advertiser have so much flexibility with the amount of messaging they want to get across in a truly user-friendly environment? Additionally, regardless of the spin, consumers are everywhere and some prefer and still catalog-shop. Integration with other channels is key.
Matt Kaiser, executive vice president of Veradata:
People still like and respond to “stuff.” Printed material is still preferred by many, many households and I don’t think this is likely to change in the near term. As much as technology affects the way we interact with the world, nearly every household in America still flips through a catalog sitting on the coffee table. Whether it is culture, ease of use or perhaps just a relaxing change of pace, viewing catalogs and being unplugged from digital advertising is going to remain a part of our lives for many years to come. Newspapers, realistically, are obsolete yet every day, tens of millions of people read the paper, despite the newsprint rubbing off on their fingers.
Millions of home goods catalogs are delivered every month to young and old consumers who spend time looking at the latest designs. The catalogs are often found stacked in magazine racks near a couch, with dog-eared pages serve as a reminder to us that we want to purchase something in the near future. Catalogs are here to stay–at least for now.
Leland Kroll, president, Kroll Direct Marketing Inc.:
Absolutely! Catalogs and all other types of marketing offers should continue to be printed and used to prospect new customers and be used as a customer relationship management vehicle. There is less mailbox glut and competition vying for attention in the mailbox. As a result, most mailing pieces are eagerly opened and are grabbing the attention of the consumer. Just because an email is deployed, doesn’t mean that it is opened, or acted upon or may simply be deleted by the recipient.
Linda Sandler, executive vice president, marketing, Adrea Rubin Marketing:
They are. However, it depends on the demographic you are targeting how you approach this data pool. If marketers are trying to reach a younger population, the most effective vehicle may be the Internet. If a catalog has a high percentage of Internet shoppers, it is necessary to allow mailers to split-test this source.
If marketers are trying to reach an older demographic, catalogs that offer a variety of payment options (cash/credit card) with a toll-free number should be tested along with split-testing Internet-versus-non-Internet sources. For non-catalogers, mailers are employing partnership methods and/or endorsement relationships. The openness to allow mailers to model names either internally or through third-party relationships to optimize the data and to segment out their best prospects is becoming more important.
The catalog co-ops have long since changed the game, and catalog co-op names are being used much more than ever before. List owners need to be more open to different types of pricing arrangements especially if they want usage from non-catalog mailers, many of which may be using co-op data as well.
Related articles:
