How Catalogs Are Adapting for an Omnichannel World

It’s hard to imagine retail marketing without catalogs. For some brands, their catalogs have been integral to their identities; who doesn’t think of iconic catalogs when they think of Sears, Toys R Us, or IKEA?

 

Today, though, an increasingly digital marketing landscape has seen catalogs recede into the background. We can point to several reasons for this pushback: the rise of e-commerce, budget cuts eating into print costs, or efforts to print less for sustainability reasons. Still, catalogs remain quite powerful – in fact, when used strategically, they can still be one of your most effective marketing assets.

 

Why Catalogs Continue to Be Effective

Until the relatively recent e-commerce revolution, catalogs were one of the most common ways for shoppers to interact with brands from the comfort of home. Many of us have definitive memories of receiving catalogs in the mail, being excited to see what’s new, and bookmarking favorite items to order. That personalized, tangible experience isn’t nearly as common anymore, with even iconic catalogs vanishing. After 70 years in print, IKEA discontinued its iconic catalog in 2021, while the original Sears catalog stopped printing in 1993. Plenty of other brands have also ended or massively scaled back their catalog operations.

 

Despite these shifts, print marketing items like catalogs remain quite effective. Print is a physical, tangible, and multisensory experience, which enhances the personalized connection between brand and customer. Print also tends to have a longer “shelf life” to ensure your brand remains top of mind.

 

Meanwhile, research from the Harvard Business Review revealed just how effective catalogs still can be:

• Sending customers catalogs in addition to outreach via email marketing resulted in a 24% increase in purchases over those who only received emails — a huge ROI lift of 870%.
• The ROI of catalog marketing for “physical-prone” customers (shoppers who have done at least half of their shopping in-person) is 60% higher than it is for “e-commerce-prone” customers, indicating the former group’s consistent preferences for tangible experiences.
• Catalogs that include photos combined with narratives are 40% more effective for sales and customer engagement than those that include only photos and product names. Customers also hang onto catalogs with narrative elements for an average of 12 days, versus just 6 days for item-only catalogs.

 

Catalogs are highly interactive experiences, giving customers a chance to “customize” their own shopping choices at their own pace. With the addition of today’s top tech, they can even become part of an effective omnichannel approach – or garner viral attention themselves!

 

Catalogs in the Age of Digital Content Creation

Today’s catalogs are about more than just featured items on a page. The most successful brands know how to incorporate innovative print and digital technology to integrate with online shopping, creating a truly customer-driven experience.

 

The perfect example of this intersection of print and digital? AdAge reports that one of today’s most talked-about catalogs is Amazon’s holiday toy catalog, which has become a must-have for shoppers and influencers alike. Since 2018, Amazon has typically mailed out a limited number of robust physical catalogs ahead of the holiday shopping season (and, even more importantly, ahead of its early-fall Prime Day). Their 2024 toy catalog comes in at a full 94 pages, with over 700 individual items featured.

 

Proving its must-have credentials, Amazon’s toy catalog is even an influencer phenomenon. Publications like Good Housekeeping offer tips on how to get a copy or get on the mailing list, while social media influencers on platforms like TikTok and Instagram are sharing their favorite picks, posting live read-throughs, and more.

 

The majority of brands won’t have the resources to produce enormous catalogs with an eye on achieving virality. Still, Amazon’s approach can teach us all a few lessons about leveraging catalogs today:

• Integrate technology: Amazon’s toy catalog features shoppable QR codes throughout the pages. Likewise, you can include shoppable QR codes to print pieces, encouraging shoppers to seamlessly go online and place their orders right away.
• Encourage slower browsing: The act of reading a catalog encourages a more leisurely pace of shopping than online browsing, which gives your brand more time to make an impression. You can convince customers to spend more time learning about your brand when you include things like in-catalog shopping lists, bookmarks, interactive quizzes, or similar elements.
• Emphasize interactivity: Alongside the actual items, Amazon’s toy catalog includes just-for-fun features like stickers, mazes, and word searches. Your brand could also include more interactive and eye-catching print options, like 3D or UV special effects. When you include more interactive features, customers remember your brand and connect more deeply, leading to higher sales.
• Connect with online search: Integrate your catalog with your online search function to increase follow-through. For instance, Amazon’s catalog combines a typical, categorized catalog with links to their online store, where searches can be refined by age range, topics, and other parameters. Coordinating your catalogs with online access can allow customers to search more effectively and make their purchases.

 

At World Press, our print and marketing experts know just how to combine eye-catching print with omnichannel solutions for maximum effectiveness. We offer multiple types of print under one roof, and our team can recommend the right solutions for your budget and goals. Get in touch with us for more information!