Whether it’s cushions at The Warehouse, netballs at Rebel Sport or Easter eggs at the supermarket, catalogues tell us what’s on offer in the stores.
Despite a universal switch to screens, catalogues remain a reliable part of the marketing mix and countless purchase decisions are made because of them.
Unaddressed mail retains a high readership at 92 percent, with catalogues staying in the home for around 38 days, Australasia Catalogue Association CEO Kellie Northwood says. They allow brands a way to show their product range without distraction, and are key for awareness and influencing the path to purchase.
“Research is finding that digital promotions are often not seen as credible, however, the printed piece is something physical consumers can rely on and often take into store,” Northwood says.
She says this creates a strong emotional brand connection to printed catalogues, which have been innovating over time.
“Technology and innovation aren’t exclusive to digital, the innovation in catalogue marketing is the data analytics that we now know.
“We know what products should be on what page, we know which pages sell more, we know where to distribute catalogues to deliver optimal results.”
Northwood says advances in customisation of catalogues, like pagination and demographical and geographical product incentives, has led to increased return on investments, and the understanding of sales data paired with production and distribution are key to the strong uplift across a number of market segments.
She says it’s critical for brands to use data to trigger the path to purchase journey with catalogues, and to know when to pair with other channels to increase recall and purchase. By using digital alongside catalogues, research shows there can be a 49 percent uplift in sales.
“We know for online retailers, the physical catalogue provides a tangible anchor and credibility that digital-only can lack.”
In the 2017 Toluna survey, 54 percent of New Zealanders reported they consume information from printed leaflets, catalogues and other unaddressed mail. Brands, online and physical, build brand equity using catalogues as a foundation piece and Northwood says magalogues are increasingly being produced by brands to communicate brand values, positioning and range.
“From photography to paper selection, the finer details when building the catalogue from concept to production are added brand touchpoints using all the consumer’s senses.”
She says the challenge for the sector is ensuring the investment remains, with cost-cutting and procurement mindsets challenging true marketing solutions.
“It is an interesting time for marketers, they have a lot of channels to choose from and each channel has its strengths and weaknesses.
“Marketers need to build those strengths and connect them together for optimal results.”
For Countdown supermarkets, mailer marketing still plays a very important role in the marketing mix, with a large number of customers making purchase decisions based on the mailers each week, Countdown’s head of production, planning and promotion Anna Romano says.
This is particularly true of key product lines such as nappies, household staples, fresh fruit and vegetables and meat, she says.
“Our mailer design and production process hasn’t changed dramatically within the last 10 years, although we’ve absolutely evolved to match an increasing awareness of our environmental footprint.”
Romano says the mailers are now printed on matte paper and can be recycled through kerbside recycling, and they have also developed an online mailer. Countdown has taken advantage of digital channels and provides personalised offers to customers, using email in conjunction with printed catalogues.
“Traditional printer mailers provide a great way to talk to customers on a wider range of topics than just price.”
The combination of the two channels allows the supermarket to catch a wide audience, but also tailor to individual tastes, showing the value in teaming the old with the new.