Create A Successful Circulation Plan
Once you have a basis from which to start, you can then apply factors of change for such things as page counts, density changes, significant changes in merchandise offerings, and so on.
Circulation can’t exist or operate in a vacuum. There is always a relationship with the merchandise and the creative presentation. There are a lot of numbers thrown about as to the importance of each. Some say 40 percent circulation, 40 percent merchandise and 20 percent creative. Others use 50/40/10 or 40/50/10. The truth is that it depends on the specific catalog and the market niche. Each is dependent upon the other. Good circulation for a poorly merchandised catalog won’t get you the desired results. The marketing, merchandising and creative people need to be working together, understanding both the company’s goals and its message.
- Companies:
- Lett Direct Inc.
Steve Lett graduated from Indiana University in 1970 and immediately began his 50-year career in Direct Marketing; mainly catalogs.
Steve spent the first 25 years of his career in executive level positions at both consumer and business-to-business companies. The next 25 years have been with Lett Direct, Inc., the company Steve founded in early 1995. Lett Direct, Inc., is a catalog and internet consulting firm specializing in circulation planning, plan execution, analysis and digital marketing (Google Premier Partner).
Steve has served on the Ethics Committee of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and on a number of company boards, both public and private. He served on the Board of the ACMA. He has been the subject of two Harvard Business School case studies. He is the author of a book, Strategic Catalog Marketing. Steve is a past Chairman of both the Catalog Council and Business Mail Council of the DMA. He spent a few years teaching Direct Marketing at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
You can contact Steve at stevelett@lettdirect.com.
