22nd ANNUAL MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT AWARDS

In celebrating this year's crop of Multichannel Merchant Award winners, one thing is clear: As sophisticated as our industry has become during the past two decades, excellence in multichannel marketing is all about nailing the basics.

Every year we try to emphasize that our program is not a beauty contest; it's a marketing competition. It takes more than a pretty face (or perhaps, gorgeous photography, appealing Web pages, clever copy…) to get catalog and Internet customers to place an order. You have to excel at it all.

Simply put, as a marketer, you must offer the products I want or need (and can't find anywhere else), make the merchandise look its best with your creative, and sell me on it with your copy. And it's crucial that you make it easy and convenient for me to order from you.

Our Award-winning catalogs and Websites do all of that and more. They're the masters of merchandising, the kings of creative, the sultans of service, and innovators of all things Internet. In other words, they're simply the best. And we salute them.

Melissa Dowling, Editor-in-Chief

2007 Judges

2007 Finalists

B-to-B Multichannel Merchant of the Year

GOLD WINNER: SPIN-OFF | Print Channel Fire Authority-Galls, Fall 06U

SILVER WINNER: BUSINESS SPECIALTY PRODUCTS | Print Channel Fire Authority-Galls, Fall 06U

Fire Authority-Galls
Galls, the authority in public safety equipment and apparel for more than 35 years, is on a hot streak. Not only did the company's Fire Authority earn a Gold Award in the Spin-off category and a Silver Award in the Business Specialty Products category, it's also our Business-to-Business Multichannel Merchant of the Year.

Why it won B-to-B Multichannel Merchant of the Year
Selling such items as apparel, helmets and hoods, eye protection, gloves, footwear, bags, flashlights, knives and tools, vehicle equipment, along with paraphernalia for rope and water rescues, and for traffic safety, Fire Authority makes its point with vigor.

The catalog presents the “complete offering for the firefighter,” said one judge. And it conveys that immediately with a hard-hitting cover showing a firefighter on the job surveying a fire scene. The cover further pulls the reader in with serious headlines, “You spoke, we listened,” and “Who is the Fire Authority? You are.”

Said one judge about the cover: “I think it's great. These guys do a terrific job. You get the feeling that they know what that fireman needs. Lots of information. It's a hard-working book. Good headlines.”

Another panelist said the print book's cover “does an excellent job of telling customers what is in the catalog,” and it “certainly comes across that they are in the business and know what the customer wants and have a long history of serving this group, which they do.”

Another judge pointed out that the cover “immediately communicates who this catalog is for — the fireman. It cleverly gains authority by showing brands, including Galls, with whom it is affiliated. All the marketing elements appropriate for a cover are present. Editorial builds authority.”

Fire Authority is no slouch online, either. Its site earned praise for its “extensive SKU assortment, good brand selection and array,” and depth of products. “Exclusive merchandise is a big plus,” one judge said. “Search function better than many.”

Fire Authority drew accolades for its well-written copy. “Bulleted copy is effective,” one panelist said, while another commented that “the consumer product reviews are excellent.”

For example, check out this description of a Star Interceptor TM 4-Rotator Halogen Lightbar: “The wider design of this lightbar is created for today's contoured, aerodynamic roof lines. Provides better light distribution and improved intersection-clearing rotator angles. Patented shock-mounted rotator system makes this the quietest in the industry.”

On the print creative and marketing side, Fire Authority carries a “well crafted” design, a judge said. “I really thought they did a great job pacing this huge catalog,” another panelist said. “Great hero shots on most spreads. It really was fun to flip through compared to some others in this category. Nice photography and great printing quality.”

And let's not forget about the cataloger's merchandising. Said one judge: “Excellent selection of products for firefighters. Seems extremely comprehensive. They come across as the leader in the market. Broad product offering well organized and paginated to help find what you need.”

Idea to steal
Yet another judge raved about Fire Authority's index: “After looking at a number of catalogs, it is nice to see indexing again and sections defined in the offering.” The index caption reads: Find it Faster — Use our Expanded Index.” The index is alphabetized, making it easier to look up certain items, and under each letter it includes various headings such as “EMS” and “Eye Protection.”
— Jim Tierney

Merchandisers: Benny Blecher, Linda Carter, Mary Ciarlette, David Frye, Mollie Hacker, Wendy Holland, Shawn Lancaster, Ann Kuchar, Jamie Osborne, Jane Owen, Katherine Pace, Wendy Pettit, Aden Randles, Jennifer Robbins, Laura Thomas, Ann Yarbrough
Vice president: Jenny Super
Manager: David Robbins
Marketing: Andrea Clinch, Monique Meeker
Copywriters: J.W. Abraham, Barbara Elliott, Chad Kinzel, Adarrell Owsley, Allison Perry
Designers: Lane Boldman, AJ Davidz, Mark McCain
Imaging: Linda Slone, Cameron Wood, Tom Randols
Printer: R.R. Donnelley (printing and binding), Three Z (inserts), Quebecor World (order form)
Cover paper: 100 lb.
Text paper: 38 lb., coated body
Trim size: 7-3/4" × 10-3/4"
Number of pages: 340