A basic lesson from Marketing 101 states that emotion is key to successfully selling a product or service. With its 2002 Buyer’s Guide, Galls shows how to apply that lesson to merchandise as seemingly mundane as public-safety gear.
The front cover kicks things off with a photo of three public-safety professionals poised on pedestals against a backdrop of the U.S. flag. The image immediately appeals to customers’ sense of pride. “You almost want to salute,” said a judge, who added, “You can feel the authority already.” Just in case readers miss that sense of authority, however, a bold cover line states “Celebrating 35 Years of Service,” just above the tagline, “The Authority in Public Safety Equipment and Apparel.”
Of course, it’s not enough to declare oneself an authority. Inside the catalog, Galls proves its point, with plentiful testimonials and customer product reviews; “In the Line of Duty,” an insert featuring humorous anecdotes submitted by customers; and references to its online Galls University, which according to the copy “provides detailed information on several types of products so that you can make more informed choices.”
Not that the print catalog doesn’t supply a bounty of product info. “The copy clearly communicates product use, benefit, and quality from headlines to body copy on individual items.” Copy blocks include bulleted features to help shoppers decide which of the myriad options will best suit their needs.
In fact, judges reserved some of their highest praise for Galls’s merchandising, which encompasses more than 400 brands and ranges from holsters to hydration accessories, from gas masks to groin protectors. The more than 200 new items are flagged throughout the catalog, as well as cited in the president’s letter and given their own index. Another index lists products by brand. And of course, there’s a five-page general index as well.
Despite the abundance of product — not to mention icons indicating exclusives and prices highlighted in red and often preceded by “only” and “as low as” — locating items is simple. Credit goes to the color-coded table of contents and page footers, explicit page headers, multiple indexes, and what one judge described as “a logical organization and presentation of categories.”
To further simplify shopping, Galls devotes several pages in the front of the book and its order form to discussing its customer service policies. And with services such as free tech support, same-day shipping, and a “no hassle guarantee,” Galls above all invokes the emotion of relief: relief to have found a cataloger that understands and meets the needs of public-safety professionals.
Galls
2680 Palumbo Dr.
Lexington, KY 40509
859-266-7227
www.galls.com
Company founded: 1967
Printer: RR Donnelley
List manager/list broker: Direct Media
Cover paper: 130 lb. #3
Text paper: 30 lb. supercalendered-A
Trim size: 7-3/4″ × 10-1/4″
Number of pages: 436