Despite two decades of email and social media marketing, and the digitization of the consumer experience, catalog mailings have been steadily increasing since 2015. What’s more is that consumers are surprisingly enthusiastic about receiving them – response rates from catalogs have increased by 170% from 2004 to 2018. The effects are not just confined to digital laggards who do not go online – in fact, there’s evidence that Millennials are particularly interested in catalogs they receive in the mail.
Why Catalogs Are Making a Comeback
What’s behind the print renaissance in the age of digital marketing?
February 11, 2020
Summary.
Just like the evolution of the retail landscape, catalogs have also evolved – they should no longer be a rambling collection of product pages reminiscent of Sears’ golden days. Instead, firms need to focus on designing stunning imagery and creative presentation of products to evoke emotion, blending in these product imageries with literature that embody higher-level values that the brand stands for, and narrating the experiences of others so that consumers can almost live vicariously through the catalogs. Creative and aesthetic capabilities and firms’ abilities to empathize with consumers and evoke emotional connections will constitute crucial competitive advantages in modern e-commerce. Catalogs can be a powerful medium to achieve them.
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Marketing Essentials. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Learn how to communicate with your customers—strategically.