Copyright 2003 Carol Ann Waugh

Now that our fall catalogs are in the hands of our customers and prospects, it time to think about what changes we need to make for our spring 2004 catalogs. Here are some tips on what to think about to improve your next catalog response:

Offers Are Becoming More Important

Since money is tight this school year, educators are looking for ways to stretch their budgets. Now would be a good time to try a 2 for 1 offer or a big discount if a school purchases a certain amount. And, the tried and true offers of "free gifts" still continue to pull well in the market. Don't forget putting in a gift certificate for first time buyers. To make your offers stand out, consider putting them in prominent selling spots in your catalog - front cover, back cover, order form and throughout the catalog as compelling "footer" copy.

Mail More Frequently to Schools With Money

Sounds logical - but now, it's more important than ever to target your mailing lists to those schools that not only have an interest in your products, but those schools that also have the money to purchase your products. And, to get their attention, you need to mail them more frequently. This might reduce your ability to increase your prospecting this school year but this is not a bad marketing strategy in this difficult market. In addition, this strategy applies to your customers as well. A multi-pronged, concentrated approach to those schools who know you, have purchased from you, and trust you, will pay off in higher dollar orders.

Think Out of the Box

While a lot of publishers simply put a new Spring cover on their old Fall catalog (this helps reduce total printing costs), perhaps it's time to reconsider this catalog strategy. In order to "stand out from the crowd", why not try a larger format printed on non-glossy stock. Prestwick House's new fall catalog is just that and not only is it eye-catching, but the large format allows them to promote more books on a spread, helping the reader to see the "larger" picture of their product line. This catalog makes a "big" impression for English teachers.

Think Internet

By this time, most companies selling to schools have a functioning and exciting web site and are seeing a conversion from ordering through the traditional methods of phone, fax, and mail to teachers and administrators ordering online. If you haven't made this transition in your catalog, it's time to devote a spread (or two!) touting the benefits of visiting your web site and why your customers should consider this method of ordering. And, it's also a great time to collect permission-based email addresses by offering educators a free something or other.

Take a look at your new Fall catalog and see if you can implement any of these ideas for Spring.

Happy cataloging!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This article was written by Carol Ann Waugh, President of Xcellent Marketing, a marketing and new business development firm specializing in the educational and library market. Xcellent Marketing offers a variety of marketing services to help publishers increase their revenues and profits from identifying new markets, providing critiques of web sites and marketing communications such as direct mail, catalogs, advertisements, etc. as well as developing effective traditional as well as Internet-based marketing plans. Carol can be reached at (303) 388-5215 or at cwaugh@xcellentmarketing.com.