Catalogs have always been a significant part of retail marketing. For some brands, their catalogs have achieved near-celebrity status: brands like Sears, JCPenney, Toys R Us, IKEA, and others are closely associated with iconic catalogs. However, in today’s digital-driven retail landscape, the once-ubiquitous catalog has faded into the background.
A combination of e-commerce dominance, rising costs, and attempts at sustainability have pushed catalogs out of style – but, as it turns out, the catalog isn’t down and out yet. In fact, it could be one of the most powerful tools in your brand’s toolbox if it’s used effectively.
Catalogs Yesterday and Today
For shoppers of years past, catalogs were a core part of the shopping experience. We can all remember paging through physical catalogs, circling items, or bookmarking pages to revisit later. Those days are long gone: after 70 years of publication, IKEA discontinued its iconic catalog in 2021, while the original Sears catalog ended in 1993. Many other brands have followed suit, eliminating or drastically shrinking their catalogs.
Even so, print marketing remains powerful. Physical, printed collateral often makes a bigger impression with customers, providing a deeper and more tangible connection with your brand, as well as a longer shelf life than email or digital marketing.
Research from the Harvard Business Review revealed key numbers that prove how powerful catalogs still can be:
- Sending customers catalogs in addition to email marketing resulted in a 24% increase in purchases over those who only received emails, or a lift of 870% ROI.
- Catalogs with photos and narratives are 40% more effective in sales and customer engagement than those that feature only photos and product names. Customers also keep catalogs with narrative elements for an average of 12 days, versus just 6 days for item-only catalogs.
- The ROI of catalog marketing on “physical-prone” customers (those who have done at least half of their shopping in-person) is 60% higher than “e-commerce-prone” customers, indicating the former group’s consistent preferences for tangible experiences.
Catalogs can help emphasize how shopping is a personal experience, not just a quick to-do ahead of a birthday or holiday. In today’s marketing world, where shoppers are seeking multidimensional experiences, that approach can make all the difference. It might even transform your catalog from a piece of mail into a must-have item or even viral content.
Catalogs with a Modern Twist
Today’s catalogs use new technologies and creative ideas to integrate more effectively into a marketing milieu where omnichannel approaches and interactivity have become the norm.
Surprisingly, one of the most popular examples today is the Amazon holiday toy catalog. AdAge reports that the famously online retailer has created one of today’s must-have catalogs. Since 2018, Amazon has sent out a limited number of physical catalogs ahead of the annual holiday shopping season and, more importantly, ahead of its early-fall Prime Day sales. The 2024 edition features 94 pages and over 700 individual items.
It’s even become an influencer trend! Big-name publications like Good Housekeeping are sharing info on how to get a copy or get on the mailing list. Plus, across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, influencers are racking up the views by posting their favorite picks, doing read-throughs, and more.
While most brands don’t have the resources to produce enormous catalogs that are tailored for TikTok virality, there are still several takeaways from Amazon’s approach that brands of any size can utilize:
- Integrate technology: Amazon’s toy catalog features shoppable QR codes throughout the pages. Likewise, you can include quick-access QR codes (or, for more data trackability, PQR codes) to print pieces, encouraging shoppers to seamlessly go online and complete their orders.
- Make items easy to search: For shoppers accustomed to the ease of online search, catalogs can be frustrating if they’re not well-designed. Amazon combines a typical, categorized catalog with a link to their online store where items are quickly sorted by key parameters like age range, topics, and more. Integrating your online and print marketing can allow your brand to similarly help customers search more effectively.
- Focus on interactivity: Alongside the actual toys, Amazon’s catalog includes fun features that shoppers may remember from previous catalogs and magazines: stickers, word searches, maze games, and other activities. Your brand could try similar print features or digital interactivity like virtual try-ons, augmented reality, and more. When you provide more than just pages of products, customers feel a greater connection with your brand, which translates to greater brand loyalty and higher sales.
- Encourage leisurely browsing: Catalogs encourage much more leisurely and interactive browsing than endless scrolling online. Offer more incentive for customers to spend time reading and absorbing information, like in-catalog shopping lists or bookmarks, interactive quizzes or activities, or other similar options.
With our expertise in print, digital, and omnichannel marketing, Priority has what you need to create eye-catching catalogs with a personal touch. Our expert team can work with you to determine the right options for your budget and goals. Contact us to learn more!
