Catalog Doctor: Conquer 'Fear of Selling'
* Myth No. 2: "We sell lifestyle, so lifestyle, not products, should go on the cover." Myth No. 2 creates the fear of showing products on the cover because they look too "commercial" and not "aspirational."
Prescription: Folks will trash a product-free aspirational cover if it's not clear what you're selling. A famous brand like L.L.Bean can put a painting on the cover because everyone knows they sell outdoor clothing. But few brands are that well known. Your catalog should show your products in use in a lifestyle setting, combining aspiration with clarity (e.g., a model wearing your resort-wear in a resort setting, your upscale pots in an upscale kitchen). Insets of products plus aspirational images can work, too.
- Companies:
- McIntyre Direct
Susan J. McIntyre is Founder and Chief Strategist of McIntyre Direct, a catalog agency and consultancy in Portland, Oregon offering complete creative, strategic, circulation and production services since 1991. Susan's broad experience with cataloging in multi-channel environments, plus her common-sense, bottom-line approach, have won clients from Vermont Country Store to Nautilus to C.C. Filson. A three-time ECHO award winner, McIntyre has addressed marketers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, has written and been quoted in publications worldwide, and is a regular columnist for Retail Online Integration magazine and ACMA. She can be reached at 503-286-1400 or susan@mcintyredirect.com.
