Alternate Media Other Catalogers Use and Why

Blanchard points to the “spillover effect” created by print ads. “If people see [your ad] in a magazine they’re paying to receive, there’s a bit of implied endorsement … It’s almost like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval.”

Which response channel pulls best on a print ad? Most catalogers try to drive people to the Web site because it’s cheaper to handle those orders. Yet many advertisers are “resistant to putting unique URLs or specific offer codes into their advertising,” says Blanchard. (Though a recent Lands’ End space ad includes one.) Without these, “It’s hard to measure online inquiries,” he cautions.