Dust off the creative basics

The large cover image dwarfs the company name at the top and free shipping at the bottom. Making these elements more prominent in relation to the image will help drive people inside.
— BILL LICATA

Still-life photos are shot in situ. Over-propped but flatly lit, they show the product adequately. But most of these products are not purchased for aesthetic reasons, so the reader must be engaged.
— JEFF HAGGIN

The technical quality of the photography is quite good, but photo after photo of vacuum cleaners or air purifiers standing in front of a chair is not the most effective presentation. More insets such as those on page 15 (shown at right) or illustrations that demonstrate specific benefits of individual products would help the shopper choose between the wide selection of items in most categories.
— BILL LICATA

Since the back cover contains the mailing address and is usually left face up in the mailbox, it is the first impression one gets of the catalog and can be the strongest selling page. Unfortunately, this back cover uses about a third of the page to sell a new air sanitizer — which is probably not the best product choice to introduce the catalog. A proven bestseller or category winner with a top rating of five stars would be more effective. Better yet, add more selling space and another product or two to improve sales. Moreover, the inkjet message introduces “David” as my assigned product expert, provides his phone extension and offers free shipping on orders over $150. These are strong sales messages, but unfortunately they are buried in the inkjet and are easy to overlook.
— BILL LICATA