Yes, Catalogs Still Matter in Today’s Retail Marketing

SP Blog 10.24

It’s hard to imagine the world of retail marketing without catalogs. In some cases, brand catalogs have become cultural icons themselves; think of brands like Sears, IKEA, Toys R Us, and others. However, in today’s digital-driven retail marketing landscape, the print catalog has slowly faded into the background.

Between rising print costs, e-commerce preferences, and sustainability efforts, catalogs don’t have the presence they once did. And yet, they’re not down for the count just yet. In fact, catalogs could be among the most powerful tools in your brand’s toolbox if used strategically.

 

Classic Catalog Branding

 Up until the last decade or so, catalogs were central to the at-home shopping experience. Most of us have strong memories of excitedly getting catalogs in the mail, paging through them, and marking the items we were most interested in. Now, those experiences are rarer than ever. After 70 years in print, IKEA discontinued its iconic catalog in 2021, while the original Sears catalog ended in 1993. Many other brands, both iconic and smaller-scale, have followed suit, eliminating or drastically scaling back their catalog operations.

Despite these trends, print marketing remains powerful. Physical marketing collateral often makes a bigger impression with customers than digital. It can offer 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 just how impactful catalogs still can be:

  • The ROI of catalog marketing on “physical-prone” customers (shoppers who have historically 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.
  • Sending customers catalogs in addition to targeting them with email marketing resulted in a 24% increase in purchases over those who only received emails, or an ROI lift of 870%.
  • Catalogs with photos combined with narratives are 40% more effective for 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.

One of the ways in which catalogs can tie into modern marketing is their ability to personalize the shopping experience. Today’s shoppers are seeking personalized, omnichannel experiences more than ever. With the right approach, a catalog can go from a basic mail piece to an interactive, personal experience – or even viral, buzzworthy content.

 

Bringing Catalogs into the Omnichannel World

Catalogs today are more than just prices and pictures on paper. Instead, they use new technologies and innovative ideas to integrate more effectively into a marketing world defined by preferences for interactivity, personalization, and multichannel solutions.

It might be surprising to learn that one of the most popular examples today is actually the Amazon holiday toy catalog! AdAge reports that the ultimate online retailer has actually produced one of today’s must-have catalogs. Since 2018, Amazon has sent out a limited number of these physical catalogs ahead of the annual holiday shopping season and, more importantly, ahead of its early-fall Prime Day sale. The 2024 edition of the catalog features 94 pages, with over 700 individual items.

Amazon’s toy catalog has even entered the influencer space! Big-name publications like Good Housekeeping are sharing info on how to get a copy or get on the mailing list. At the same time, social media influencers across platforms like TikTok and Instagram are ramping up the publicity by sharing their favorite picks, posting read-throughs, and more.

Of course, most brands don’t have the resources to produce enormous catalogs that are tailored for TikTok virality. Still, 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.
  • Emphasize shoppability and searchability: Shoppers accustomed to the ease of online search may get impatient with print catalogs. To solve this, Amazon combines a typical, categorized catalog with a link to their online store, where items are easily sorted by key parameters like age range, topics, and more. Coordinating your online and print marketing can allow your brand to similarly help customers search more effectively.
  • Encourage slower browsing: Typically, catalogs encourage much more leisurely and interactive browsing than endless scrolling online. You can incentivize customers to spend more time reading and absorbing information, with features like in-catalog shopping lists or bookmarks, interactive quizzes or activities, or similar elements.
  • Focus on interactivity: Alongside actual toys, Amazon’s catalog includes just-for-fun features like stickers, word searches, mazes, and other activities. Your brand could add similar print features, or even digital elements like virtual try-ons, augmented reality, and more. When you provide more than just pages of products, customers connect on a more personal level, which translates to greater brand loyalty and higher sales.

The omnichannel experts at Standard Press have the print and digital expertise to help you create memorable catalogs, including personalized elements for even greater connection. We’ll help you find the right options for your budget and priorities – reach out to learn more!

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