Front-Runner

One advantage Hodges Badge foresees from the new slim-jim format, however, is how the products themselves appear in the catalog. Most of the merchandise is long and skinny — ribbons, rosettes, medals — and in many cases better-suited for the vertical slim-jim format than a standard catalog.

Gives Customers a Heads-Up
The first slim jims started reaching customers in mid-August. A few weeks prior to the mailing, Hodges Badge sent an e-mail alerting its entire housefile of the format change. Rick Hodges also announced the change on his personal blog, with links for customers to preview the redesigned catalogs.