Norm Thompson Outfitters, Inc.
Subject lines carry a lot of weight. They drive open rates and results. After e-mail recipients look at your โfromโ line and recognize your company or service, the next thing they do is look at the subject line to see what might interest them. Letโs examine some of the latest techniques for getting customers past the e-mail client and into your site. Free to Use โFreeโ In the past, marketers were warned not to use the word โfreeโ in a subject line. The concern was that it triggered spam filters and reduced chances of delivery. Since โfreeโ is the most powerful four-letter
In the September (print) issue of Catalog Success, I discussed the opportunity catalogers and multichannel merchants have to aggressively pursue the older end of baby boomers, some of whom are now in their 60s. In Portland, Maine, on Sept. 20 for the fall NEMOA Conference, I was taken by the opening presentation given by Claire Spofford, senior vice president and chief brand officer for the Orchard Brands unit of Golden Gate Capital, (formerly AppleseedโsTopCo). Having joined Appleseedโs earlier this decade to bring a retail and brand accent to the mature womenโs apparel cataloger, Spofford now presides over a thriving multititle multichannel business thatโs as
An ongoing challenge for most catalogers/multichannel merchants is keeping a respectable sales pace going during off-seasons. And Shelley Nandkeolyar, CEO of multititle apparel cataloger Norm Thompson Outfitters, outlined several ways to keep momentum going following the holiday season in a session he delivered at last weekโs e-Tail conference held in Washington, D.C. Below are some useful pointers he had to offer. * Keep the pressure on. Make liberal use of e-mail marketing for customer retention and reactivation, Nandkeolyar said. In his experiences at Norm Thompson and with the Solutions and Sahalie catalogs, Nandkeolyar has found that with e-mail, the more you use it, the
What youโll gain from this article: - practical guidance on developing and implementing a paper procurement policy that integrates environmental and business goals; and - a six-step process for arriving at a policy that aligns with your corporate philosophy. A catalog companyโs environmental policy reflects the values of an organization and has an impact on relations with its stakeholders. Its implementation within your company will demonstrate your commitment to corporate responsibility. And it can significantly affect your companyโs environmental footprint as well as its financial strength. Effective environmental policies guide executivesโ decision-making in ways that have real environmental and business consequences. Following
Environmental concern has re-emerged as an important issue for the direct marketing industry in the past few years. And the use of recycled paper is one of the issues that has been at the forefront of the resurgence. U.S. catalog companies mailed about 17 billion catalogs last year, using 3.6 million tons of paper, according to the Alliance for Environmental Innovation (AEI), a national nonprofit organization focused on environmental protection. โCatalogers are more aware of the environmental impact of their paper use and increasingly understand that reducing waste, maximizing recycled content and protecting forests are the right things to do,โ says Victoria Mills,
Many catalogers who use customer testimonials say this creative element boosts sales and adds a friendly touch to their brands. Below are some things to consider if you, too, want to utilize this creative element in your print catalogs. Testimonials Work Most catalogers report a general boost in product performance when they use testimonials, although many admit they donโt scientifically measure the impact. โI used testimonials at Gardenerโs Supply and think they can be really powerful catalog marketing tools,โ says Susan Stone Russel, the former circulation manager at Gardenerโs Supply catalog, and currently a manager at Intuit. โMy main objective
Enough wood to make a 6-foot fence stretching across the United States seven times, or to make copy paper for 18.2 million people. Thatโs how much the entire catalog industry could save if it used paper composed of just 10-percent postconsumer recycled content, according to experts. A study by the Alliance for Environmental Innovation (the Alliance), a project of Environmental Defense, a nonprofit organization, revealed that despite such potential environmental savings, most catalogers instead print their pages on virgin (non-recycled) paper. Several industry experts largely attribute catalogersโ resistance to using recycled paper to concern about cost and possible decrease in sales. โItโs
Despite a rocky 2002 economy, catalogers are forging ahead, turning their attention to new manufacturing practices to supportโand, in some cases, supplementโtheir sales efforts. Order forms arenโt the only things youโll find nestled in your favorite catalog these days. Increasingly, catalogers are partnering with third-party mailers to insert advertising into catalog pages. And the ads are taking myriad forms, most commonly as blow-in and bind-in inserts. (Blow-ins are loose ad inserts, while bind-ins are inserts that are bound into the book.) For catalogers, these initiatives often mean extra revenues. And for advertisers, theyโre a way of targeting a specific demographic, while the cataloger picks
The winners of the first-annual Catalog Success Catalogers of the Year awards have brought a wealth of experiences, knowledge and skills to the industry. On the following pages youโll meet these impressive catalogers. Weโre honored to recognize the contributions these five professionals have made to cataloging. โThese are challenging times for catalogers,โ said Peggy Hatch, group publisher, Catalog Success magazine. โWhat better time to stop and recognize four remarkable individuals and their extraordinary success? I know that catalogers will find these stories both inspirational and educational. Catalog Success is delighted to showcase these catalog professionals, and we heartily congratulate them on their awards.โ
There was a time when corporate executives who wanted to establish sound environmental practices also had to resign themselves to reduced profitability. The thinking was: You could institute terrific environmental initiatives or you could make healthy profits. But you couldnโt have both. Not anymore. In an age when every CEO is looking to boost profits and position his or her company for future growth, environmental sustainability programs deserve greater studyโnow more than ever. โItโs only a matter of time before we Americans truly begin to understand that one of the reasons other nations dislike us is because we take more than our share of