Managing Pandemic Catalog Buyers (mytotalretail.com)

Direct mail is considered by consumers to be the most trustworthy of all marketing channels. It is extremely important to create copy, calls to action and offers with honesty. This is not the time for a bait and switch or a poorly worded offer that is interpreted wrong. Direct mail is about respect. Respecting the recipient’s intelligence, as well as their time is very important. That is why we strive to help client’s create targeted offers consumers want to receive. I like the quote by James E. Faust “Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living and truth loving.” Can your customers count on you to help them create direct mail pieces that are honest?

Omnichannel success is all about breaking down barriers between channels and building cooperation. Every company that strives for omnichannel success is trying to change from being company-centric or channel-centric to being customer-centric. In a channel-centric company, one channel typically dominates the others. In this business model, the company is more important than the customer; everything revolves around improving sales and making more money for the company. Retailers think first and foremost of their stores; other channels are an afterthought. Pure-play catalog or ecommerce companies concentrate only on their method of selling. A customer-centric business is totally oriented toward the customer. Customers decide when, where, and how they wish to shop with the company. From the customer’s perspective: *The customers control the relationship. *Customer service is seamless across all channels. *Customers see a single face/identity/voice/brand from the company, regardless of channel. *Customers have the feeling that the company cares about them and works for their loyalty. *Most if not all merchandise is available from all selling channels.

At a time when some industry insiders have begun ruminating about the possibility of another downturn, the U.S. ad market got its third quarter off on a very high note, posting a nearly 14% year-over-year expansion in July. Significantly, that compares with a nearly 7% expansion for the same month a year ago, indicating the double-digit gains aren't about easy comps, but signal material growth. Whether the data from Guideline's just-refreshed U.S. Ad Market Tracker proves to be more of a lagging indicator, is not clear, but July 2024 also represents the 15th consecutive month of marketplace expansion, and is the best one since the U.S. ad market pulled out of a mini recession.