Nordstrom: Following, Bending & Breaking the Rules

In the early 1990s I gave a talk to the Minneapolis Direct Marketing Club. On the way to the airport, my old and dear friend Kathy detoured to let me prowl the vaunted Mall of America, that gloriously glitzy testament to the shop-’til-you-drop mentality: the largest indoor mall in the world, complete with an amusement park in the center.

As we passed the jewelry department of Nordstrom, I spied a ring in the window that seemed right for my wife, Peggy. We went inside and were greeted by a sales clerk named Janice, who sold me the ring. Later that day I presented the ring to Peggy, who was happy with it.

End of story? Not quite. For a full two years following my purchase, I periodically received hand-signed notes from Janice alerting me to special sales or events or just wishing me well. All the attention she showered on me made me feel guilty. At one point I felt I should really go out to Minneapolis just so I could buy something from Janice. It was textbook-correct customer relationship management. Nordstrom does things right.

The Nordstrom Catalog

The 76-page, full-color “Clothes for Life” book from Nordstrom may have the very best cover on a catalog (or a magazine, for that matter) that I’ve ever seen—a true photographic masterpiece depicting a mother hugging her daughter, who has recently come out of the ocean, in a happy tangle of arms and legs (see page 39).

The composition is the classic triangle of a Renaissance master; focus on any element of the picture and the eye is led around the triangle until it returns to the centerpiece—the spectacular Julia Roberts-like smile that would light up an entire room.

The only violation of the triangle is the model’s sandy right big toe and left leg; both point to the edge of the cover, the implication being, “Open me! Open me!” And I cannot imagine not opening this catalog with so happy a photo on the cover.

Mom is wearing the Shelf-Bra Tank top:

The perfect summer basic in finely ribbed cotton knit. And there are no worries about straps showing with the built-in bra. Slightly padded and lined with nylon mesh for support and a smooth line.

Where I live in Philadelphia, street chic for young women is the tank top with bra straps showing— which, in the charm department, I equate to baseball hats worn backwards and nose rings. So I say: “Three cheers for Nordstrom!”

The beach motif is carried through the first half of the book with beguiling photographs of winsome young women, including the cover model with the knockout smile, all wearing outfits perfect for a week at the beach. Clearly, everyone in the book is having a wonderful time; the implication is that you will, too, when you’re outfitted by Nordstrom.

Headlines

It was the late David Ogilvy who said, “The headline is the ticket on the meat.” And Nordstrom’s headline writers are first-rate. Where most catalog headlines simply name the item, Nordstrom’s headlines create warm visual and tactile images:

• Butter-soft, washable suede, feels great against your skin.

• Easy, soft-washed linen goes everywhere.

• The island time skirt, easy wrap is shaped for relaxation.

• The island mist shirt, soft & roomy in a light, richly embroidered linen.

• The indispensable jacket, classic jean jacket style goes everywhere.

Of course, any serious catalog maven immediately will recognize that this last headline was lifted directly from the TravelSmith signature item, “The Indispensable Black Travel Dress.” But, hey! Peggy and I founded the newsletter Who’s Mailing What! on the principle that in direct mail, you should see what others are doing successfully and then “steal smart.” All in all, these may be the most evocative catalog headlines since those of copywriter Donald Staley in the glory days of The J. Peterman Catalog.

Design

The catalog’s design, for the most part, has descriptive copy adjacent to the illustration of the item, so the reader’s eye is not jerked as it tries to correlate item A in the montage of illustrations with description A in the copy block somewhere else on the page or, worse, an adjoining page. Nor are the illustrations in little boxes with a lot of white space, which would be in violation of Lew Smith’s dictum: “Neatness rejects involvement.” Rather, the pages seem to flow with the same ease you’d feel walking around Women’s Casuals in the store itself.

Broken Rule #1: Typeface

The catalog’s use of sans serif type everywhere is a rule breaker.

Serif text gets a better response than sans serif. —Ed Elliott

Use sans serif type for headlines, not for body copy. —Andy Byrne

Use serif typefaces for body copy; they’re easier to read. —Ted Kikoler

Serif type is easier to read than sans serif type. —David Ogilvy

Use serif type in body copy, not sans serif type; it’s more readable and will bring a better response. —Craig Huey

Further, master designer Ed Elliott of Phillips Publishing writes:

Use the right text type size. Ten or 11 points is optimum for readability; maybe one point larger for older readers.

My measurement indicates that the Nordstrom designers use a minuscule 7-point mousetype, eliminating any hope of seniors with poor eyesight ordering gifts for children or grandchildren. The readability is enhanced somewhat by double spacing, but in my opinion, the Nordstrom designers violate Malcolm Decker’s observation:

Remember that in direct mail, the word is king. Copy is the architect of the sale. Design and art are strongly supportive interior designers that often set up the sale. Because lookers are shoppers while readers are buyers, if you can firmly engage your prospect—and keep him engaged—through reading, you’re on your way to a sale.

Broken Rule #2:

Surprinting and Reverse Type

Seven-point sans serif mousetype surprinted over a busy background is simply lousy design, and this supreme error appears a number of times in the book.

Avoid type text printed over, or reversed out of, a busy or distracting background. —Ed Elliott

Never set your copy in reverse (white type on a black background), and never set it over a gray or colored tint. The old school of art directors believed that these devices forced people to read the copy; we know that they make reading physically challenging. —David Ogilvy

Avoid reverse copy. —Ted Kikoler

In the words of Ed Elliott:

Become the writer’s assistant. The designer’s job is to create the right impression, get people to read the copy, draw visual emphasis to the appropriate text in the right way to bring the greatest response, and remove obstacles that might keep people from responding.

The design of the nuts-and-bolts information in the center spread is appalling—dark blue and white headlines against a light blue background with 5-point sans serif type reversed out in white. This is the kind of design credit card mailers often use to make the exclusions and disclosures unreadable.

Yet all of this information is there to engender confidence in Nordstrom:

Unconditional Guarantee
Order Anytime
24-Hour Help
Fast Delivery
Easy Returns
Nordstrom Card Rewards
Gift-Giving

Broken Rule III: No Order Form

The catalog didn’t have an order form. (It was sent to a customer whose purchasing history has been 100-percent online, a noteworthy segmentation.) One and a half pages of the center spread were devoted to ordering information that would otherwise appear on the order form.

Catalog consultant Jack Schmid writes: Not all catalogs need an order form.

Many business catalogs receive 99 percent of their orders by phone and fax and could argue that an order form is a waste of printing, paper, and lettershop dollars. The counterargument is that even one order missed because of the absence of an order form is one too many. I urge business-to-business catalogers in particular to turn their order forms into “telephone organizers” to assist their customers in placing orders.

Schmid adds: Remember, the order form is for the ultimate convenience of your customers, not internal people and systems.

The catalog heavily promotes ordering via the Web. However, it must be remembered that (1) sometimes a person who prefers to order online can’t get online, and (2) some people pass catalogs along to friends and relatives.

Not having an order form violates the basic rule of Elsworth Howell, founder of Grolier Enterprises:Make it as easy as possible for the customer to order.

Nordstrom’s Web Site

I urge readers to get hold of a printed copy of the “Clothes for Life” book and then go to the Web site (www.nordstrom.com) where the same book is reproduced almost page for page. Compare the copy and design treatment in both media. There is the obvious difference of being able to click on illustrations for alternate views and larger views, however, online you’ll also find copy not only in far larger type, but better written. For example, on page 40 of the catalog:

Glen Cove Shirt-jacket

Oversized linen tunic with deep side vents for ease of movement. Drawstring back for shaping. Machine wash. By Sand Creek. USA. Misses XS (2), S (4-6), M (8-10), L (12-14), XL(16-18); approx 30.5” long. Women’s 1X (14-16), 2X (18-20), 3X (22-24); approx 31” long. White, cornflower or teal.
#24729 Misses $78.00
#724729 Plus Sizes $88.00

And, from the Web page:
Glen Cove Shirt-jacket
Billowy linen tunic expresses your own inner sunlight and sea breeze. This may be your favorite top layer for spring and summer.
Oversized tunic with deep side slits for ease of movement.
Drawstring back for customized shaping.
Shell buttons; long sleeves; front chest pocket.
Linen; machine wash.
By Sand Creek; made in the USA.
#24729 Misses $78.00
#724729 Plus Sizes $88.00
Sizes: X-SMALL — 3X
Colors: Corn Flower Teal White
Usually arrives within 3-6 business days.

The catalog copy was in the 7-point sans serif type that is used throughout the catalog. The Web copy was in 12-point type and much easier to read.

What’s more, the Web version’s lead paragraph (the “billowy linen tunic”) is wonderfully evocative selling copy. It’s a fine piece of writing that the catalog designers, for some reason, felt was unnecessary.

Finally, Hatch’s Rule applies here: “Ya gotta rein in designers!”

Denny Hatch, consultant and freelance copywriter, founder of Who’s Mailing What! (now Inside Direct Mail) and former editor of Target Marketing, can be reached at dennyhatch@aol.com.