Picture This: A Catalog Pro Shares Two Key Creative Strategies

1. When pinpointing your catalog’s target demographic, strive to know everything there is to know about your ideal customer, including gender, age, ethnic background, hobbies/interests, even personal characteristics (e.g., active, curious, intellectual, humorous). “Then find a picture of someone who meets that ideal, and hang it up so your staff knows exactly for whom they’re working,” advises Sarah Fletcher, creative director of Catalog Design Studios, a Charlestown, R.I.-based catalog agency.

2. When deciding how much space to allot for each product in your print catalog, “Don’t picture all merchandise the same size and square inch,” says Fletcher.”You’re losing money that way. If you offer more expensive and complex items, give them more space in the catalog.”

To reach Fletcher, call (401) 524-6097, or visit her Web site at www.catalogdesignstudios.com