News
As seen in the review Vente à Distance, issue no. 221 – April/June 2010
THE PAPER CATALOGUE: DRIVING FORCE BEHIND YOUR MULTI-CHANNEL STRATEGY
With the explosion of Internet use, purchasing behavior has changed. The customer has become demanding, comparing then choosing and buying. Doesn’t the Web spell doom for the paper catalogue? Not so fast! The paper catalogue is undergoing thorough revamping and still offers an outstanding means for building customer loyalty as well as being a key to the strategies adopted by online retailers.
Why does the paper catalogue continue to attract customers and stimulate sales?
A full-blown gallery of images, the catalogue obeys a set of formatting rules to ensure its effectiveness and results: clarity, ease of consultation, sequencing of text inserts, sales promotions, information prioritization, etc. Nothing is left up to chance when it comes to transforming the catalogue into a bona fide sales tool.
In this Internet age, multi-channel strategies have become a real source of growth by enhancing engagement with customers. Against such a backdrop, the paper catalogue more than ever occupies a strategic position for online retailers.
The catalogue acts as a popular support medium among consumers, who readily admit to using it as a complement to other sales channels at their disposal. Over the past ten years, most major retailers make their catalogues available online and yet just as many paper brochures are being printed as ever.
Why has the consumer remained so hooked on catalogues? Paper supports will always hold this advantage over the virtual medium: they provide an immediate view of the extent of promotions offered while displaying items for sale with an attractive staging. In many cases, the paper catalogue is preferred to the e-catalogue for its streamlined access to product information, and users show their unwavering support. The catalogue remains a critical, if not essential, component in the online / mail order business. This more physical interaction, this emotional response to proximity is captured by the catalogue in a way that the virtual universe of Internet exchanges is incapable of replicating.
The paper catalogue has become an effective resource through greater focus and specialization, by entering the realm of the imaginary and letting the Internet handle the task of conveying information. Catalogues build customer loyalty and reach out to those still uncomfortable with online purchasing; they’re a real, physical and hands-on reference.
How does the catalogue fulfill its role within a multi-channel strategy?
Companies need to be aware that synergy and interaction between the various channels make it possible to increase total customer value, wherein lies the importance of building a solid multi-channel strategy based on customer value through adapting solutions to better meet customer expectations and demands.
What will tomorrow’s marketplace look like? The ability to measure and assess the relative weight of each type of channel on customer value will be necessary; for example, it is essential to know the impact a catalogue makes on purchasing performance either online or at point of sale.
Too few companies implement the tools required to conduct such measurements and are not aware of the actual return on their catalogue investments.
As part of these new multi-channel strategies, attention must be paid to the e-catalogue! It has been observed that consumers are more inclined to consult an e-catalogue than browsing a traditional e-commerce site since they find the same wealth of information, same product staging and same ease of navigation that they’ve come to appreciate in the paper catalogue.
Nonetheless, the multi-channel marketing strategies with major challenges yet to be overcome are still the key to achieving long-term prosperity.
How is it possible to revolutionize your catalogue production process?
In this new multi-channel context, the objective consists of storing in the same place, according to a protocol that remains simple, well organized and inexpensive, a consistent and regularly-updated base of information on all channels: retailer’s site, catalogue, and stores. This information resource devoted to products (texts, prices, references, photos and pictograms) serves to produce paper catalogues with greater efficiency, speed and organization in its various versions; moreover, the information can then be used to update the retailer’s site and create point-of-purchase advertising.
How exactly can this database facilitate catalogue production?
- It helps simplify the entire catalogue process, from page layout to actual production without having to run desktop publishing software; it also yields the standard desktop publishing files while not restricting the creative range of graphic artists.
- It relies on an automated validation circuit: visualization of page formats prior to running the desktop application, a dedicated corrections procedure, and quick and easy generation of proofs.
- It provides a secure and coordinated framework for data on all channels thanks to dynamic content publication.
- Lastly, it streamlines the transition from paper catalogue to e-catalogue or onto mobile devices immediately with just a single click.
A chronicle produced by Brigitte Carroi and Stéphane Claret
Brigitte CARROI founded the Marketing Consultancy Direct Mkg in 1995 and serves as the firm’s Associate Director. She also spent several years directing her own online retailing activities. After more than fifteen years working in dynamic publishing and catalogue software development, Stéphane CLARET was behind the creation of PageOnDemand.com.
