When integrating catalogs into your marketing mix, you can be certain eventually a physical, printed catalog lands in your prospect’s hands. So even if your customer doesn’t spend time looking through your catalog, you can know that they’ve at least seen your business’ name and are somewhat aware of your current offerings.
This stands in stark contrast to digital catalogs which are often delivered via e-mail and can be easily sent to your customers’ junk or trash folders, sight unseen.
More importantly, the physical nature of printed catalogs encourages browsing in a way that digital catalogs cannot. This is true for all customer types, from young to old.
What about Millennials?
Millennials, the group most thought to ignore traditional advertisements in favor of online digital ads or social media ads, self-report that they overwhelmingly pay attention to physical mail and prefer to receive information via traditional mail catalogs versus e-mail.
Additionally, 50% of all millennials report that they ignore digital advertisements, while only 15% of this group admit to disregarding catalogs and other direct mail that lands in their mailbox.
In other words, although consumers are aware that they can go onto the Internet to research various offers more deeply, a tangible and physical advertisement still holds a unique draw.
Even though the number of paper catalogs mailed to consumers is lower than it was just a decade ago, prospective customers still respond strongly to physical catalogs.
Given the reasons why physical catalogs remain so important to customers, creating and distributing a paper catalog for your business’ offerings should be an important piece of your overall marketing strategy.
Catalog marketing advantages at a glance…
More reasons to print catalogs.
Since catalogs are longer form print pieces, you have more space to express your brand through words and images. Make sure the design reflects what you want your brand’s overall design to look like, as it will be the only thing representing it to many prospects or customers who may not be super familiar with your brand
Leaves a lasting impression on customers and prospects with a good design that they will want to keep on their coffee table, thus creating more potential future impressions
When something looks good, people want to show it off! Having a well-designed cover is of utmost importance to ensure your catalog finds a spot on a prospect or customer’s coffee table or magazine rack.
Translates into digital catalog marketing quickly and easily by using the same design
With just a few small tweaks, your print file can be made into a digital catalog that can easily be embedded on any website.
Monetizes your marketing by adding ad space for any of the growing number of advertisers who are once again seeing the benefit of placing ads in print publications
Interest has grown in the ad space available on direct mail pieces like catalogs and mail-order-houses. As a result, ad spaces on catalogs that are mailing to large enough audiences are highly desirable and you can have your catalog practically pay for itself.
Is one of the most cost effective marketing tools today as indicated by the continued growth of ad spending on catalogs and mail order houses year over year
The rapid growth of ad spending in this category (as indicated in above graph) is a sign that there is still untapped potential in the area of catalog marketing that could be tremendous.
Provides longer lasting medium than postcards or brochures resulting in a longer amount of time that brand will have an impression on the recipient
Catalogs on average stick around longer than your standard postcard ad or even letter. Since 98% of consumers in the US get their mail on the same day its delivered and 77% check it immediately, it would make sense for the shorter form spammy looking mail to get sorted out pretty early on. Catalogs typically don’t get thrown out with the first bunch of mail, even when someone doesn’t even know what the catalog is for.
Takes advantage of advertising and marketing preference trend among consumers who prefer catalogs over postcards or digital ads.
People simply prefer to be contacted for marketing purposes through a paper medium. 56% of customers perceived print marketing as the most trustworthy amongst other channels of marketing. 82% of internet users use print advertising when making a purchasing decision.
Provides a large canvas that can feature an infinite number of other types of creative content than just plain product listings
Just because your catalog is called a catalog doesn’t mean it can only include product listings and standard catalog stuff. Try filling sections with editorial content to switch things up and catch your reader by surprise.
For all these reasons and more, we believe there are an unbelievably large number of advantages to catalog print marketing that can easily be applied to any business, regardless of industry or company or organization size.
Let Able Printing Services print your next catalog!
Catalogs are a great way to connect with you customers, prospects or community. Able Printing Services is here to help you make the most of your marketing dollars with your success in mind. We are here to give you the expert advice you need to choose the size and format that will work best for you. Let our team help your team.
Able Printing Services is here to help.