Five Considerations for Catalogs

Catalogs can make your business stand out. Learn five reasons catalog marketing is worth the investment with this interactive tool.

Illustration of a catalog and floating shapes.

Catalogs are a powerful channel to engage with your customers and lead them online. Discover five reasons why catalogs are effective and should be included in your marketing plan.

Five
Considerations
for Catalogs

In a digital era, print marketing can really stand out. Catalogs offer an experience that is familiar, but refreshed – giving customers a tactile experience to spend time with and get inspired.

1 Boost Brand Recall

92^%

of households take the time to sort through print mail each day and specifically look out for catalogs.^[1]

Due to the physical and uninterrupted nature of the channel, companies that use catalogs are able to cut through the email clutter and social media saturation.

When catalogs are used as an alternate or complementary marketing tactic, consumers have better recall of the brand over longer periods of time. Not to mention they form stronger and more positive emotional connections to the brand.

Physical ads trigger brain activity responsible for value and desirability for featured products.

While physical ads are slower to grab attention at first, they leave longer lasting impact and signal a greater intent to purchase.

Response Rates by Channel^[2]

Direct Mail	3.7^%
Email	0.2^%
Social Media	0.1^%
Paid Search	0.1^%
Internet Display	0.02^%

2 Incite Brand Discovery

84^%

of consumers enjoy getting catalogs from stores they’ve already shopped from.^[1]

In addition to being visual and informative, your catalog also represents your brand. Because customers willingly take the time to read catalogs, you can cultivate a sense of investment and trust.

70^%

of readers say that catalogs encourage them to look at a company’s website.^[1]

Catalogs can drive customers to your company’s website for more reasons than to make a purchase. Many want to explore the brand itself further, which creates a stronger connection.

52^%

of consumers find catalogs with additional content somewhat or very appealing.^[1]

Additional content can support your brand values and give customers ideas beyond the expected. For example, a cookware retailer might include recipes with beautiful food photography. Or, a hardware store might feature stories of successful projects.

3 Promote Longer Shelf Life

15.5 min

The average time spent looking at a catalog.^[1]

Because the best catalogs have a magazine-like quality, consumers spend a longer time with them than the average piece of mail.

47^%

of consumers set aside catalogs to read later.^[1]

Customers who have shopped with the store before are more receptive to catalogs and even save them to read later.

On average, people keep catalogs for 20.3 days.^[1]

The aesthetic value of a catalog lends not only to higher brand perception but also to the creation of an engaging experience. Most consumers keep catalogs longer and may even share them with family members or friends.

4 Inspire Consumer Wish Lists

In a social media culture, consumers live very curated lives. So, catalogs, too, need to be curated for an editorial shopping experience. When designed well, catalogs can serve as a tool for customers to discover new ideas, products, and inspiration.

“More like a magazine… than a shopping book…”

– PYMNTS^[3]

58^%

of online shoppers say they browse catalogs for ideas.^[4]

Catalogs can make customers aware of the available products and form an emotional brand connection. Customers should be able to envision how your products can fit into their lives.

45^%

of women ages 18-30 report that catalogs sparked interest in a retailer’s product.^[3]

Visual content is

40x

more likely to get shared.^[5]

People have stronger reactions to visual content. One catalog reader said that social media had made her “hyper aware of everything, so it’s nice to sit and fantasize with a catalog.”^[6]

Personalization makes your catalog even more effective. Mailing in segments creates a stronger connection with your customer and shows them inspiration more specific to their needs.

Personalize catalogs by:

Age
Gender
Demographic
Geographic location

5 Drive Leads Online

Most importantly, catalogs are great for conversion. After a customer is inspired, they are more likely to go online and then make a purchase.

Create
Awareness

Encourage
Curiosity

Promote
Sales

20^%

of first-time customers placed their orders after receiving a catalog.^[7]

Research shows that catalogs positively affect shopping behaviors, which is great for your bottom line.

1.5x

more time spent shopping online after receiving a catalog.^[8]

71^%

said a catalog
influenced
their decision.^[1]

66^%

then went
on
to
purchase.^[1]

And, with your customers inspired by your catalog content, they’re more likely to complete a purchase.

Key
Takeaways

Now you know the five ways catalogs can expand your marketing success. In a world full of digital content, your brand can stand out with well-designed, engaging catalog content that your customers can hold and read in their own time.

“The ability to stand out in that physical mailbox is easier than it was 10 years ago.”

- Neil O’Keefe, Data & Marketing Association^[6]

While print may seem like a medium of the past, it has increased capabilities and brand-building potential that should not be ignored.

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Footnotes

[1]Catalogs: Trends and Updates, USPS, Presented at the National Catalog Forum hosted by the American Catalog Mailers Association, May 3, 2017.
[2]MarketingProfs. “3 Catalog Marketing Tips to Help You Break through the Noise of Your Competition.” The Dingley Press, 2 Sept. 2015, dingley.com/3-catalog-marketing-tips-to-help-you-break-through-the-noise-of-your-competition/.
[3]PYMTS. “Are Catalogs Still Relevant In a Digital Age?” PYMNTS.com, 12 Jan. 2015, www.pymnts.com/in-depth/2015/are-catalogs-still-relevant-in-a-digital-age/.
[4]Piccio, Arthur. “Why Catalogs Became Trendy This Year.” UPrinting Blog, 15 Feb. 2016, www.uprinting.com/blog/catalogs-became-trendy-year/.
[5]Lee, Kevan. “9 Informative Infographics To Guide Your Visual Content Marketing.” Buffer, 23 July 2014, blog.bufferapp.com/infographics-visual-content-marketing.
[6]White, Ronald D. “The Old-Fashioned Mail-Order Catalog Is Making a Comeback.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2017, www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-catalogs-return-20171123-story.html.
[7]Yohn, Denise Lee. “Why the Print Catalog Is Back in Style.” Harvard Business Review, 25 Feb. 2015, hbr.org/2015/02/why-the-print-catalog-is-back-in-style.
[8]Minuteman Press. “Don’t Call it a Comeback! Catalogs Are as Effective as Ever Before in Marketing Your Business.” Minuteman Press, 7 Nov. 2016, www.shop.minutemanpress.com/franchise/2016/11/07/dont-call-it-a-comeback-catalogs-are-as-effective-as-ever-before-in-marketing-your-business/.