22nd ANNUAL MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT AWARDS

New Catalog

SILVER: PRINT CHANNEL

Tahitian Noni International | Fall/Holiday 2006
You may not be familiar with Tahitian Noni International, and you may never have heard of the noni plant. The company was founded in 1996 to sell juice made from noni — an antioxidant rich, natural resource that's been keeping Polynesians healthy and vital for centuries. Provo, UT-based Tahitian Noni International launched a catalog last year, and it's taking home the Silver Award for its first print book effort.

Why it won a Silver Award
As you might expect with a new catalog selling an unfamiliar product, Tahitian Noni has to spend a fair amount of time explaining its core line of nutritional beverages. The catalog masterfully describes how it assures and maintains the quality of its signature juice: Certified workers monitor harvesting of the noni fruit, which grows in shady forests as well as on open rocky or sandy shores in French Polynesia, up through the proprietary blending process. The company's juice recipe includes a secret blend of noni, grape, and blueberry juices that provide antioxidant benefits along with a fruity flavor.

To further create a thirst for its merchandise, catalog testimonials from ordinary people to celebrities enhance the brand's credibility. The book's copy earned high marks as well. “Copy invites the reader to learn more about the product,” said one judge. Another panelist thought that the product copy is well written, and the fact that the testimonials are sprinkled throughout the catalog further supports the selling copy.

Particularly for a first-time book, “the photography is good,” said one judge. Another panelist referred to the front and back covers as creating visuals that “entice the reader to open the book and read about the product.”

And when it comes to merchandising, Tahitian Noni is no one-trick pony. Besides its original juice, the catalog sells dietary supplements, skin creams, protein drinks, and noni leaf teas. One judge summarized: “One basic product can expand into a multitude of product offerings.”

Why it didn't win a Gold Award
Despite the book's solid effort for a first-time cataloger, the judging panel had a few critiques: “Oddly, the back cover is the stronger of the two [covers]. There is a lot of emphasis on lifestyle shots and style, but not on the product, and I think that is a mistake,” observed one panelist.

Tahitian Noni also needs to make it easier for customers to shop, another judge said. The three pricing columns “are very confusing. It is only explained on page 20. This is not a great sales concept. Valid testimonials and facts should've been up front so customers can understand the concept before venturing through the catalog.”
— JT

Directors: Lois Boyle, Matthew Fey
Designer/creative director: Brent Niemuth
Marketing director/list manager: George Hague
Print/production director: Angie McClure
Copywriter: Pat Friesen
Photographer/illustrator: Jim Bowie Photography
Printer: Arandell
Color separator/prepress: Cenveo Colorhouse
Consultant: J. Schmid & Assoc.
Cover/text paper: 80 lb., Productolith matte text, grade 2
Trim size: 9" × 10-1/2"
Number of pages: 40

New Website

SILVER: WEB CHANNEL

Chimp Feet | www.chimpfeet.com
With a name like Chimpfeet, the site had better be good. And this new Website of “gifts for pets and the people they love” is better than good; it's a Silver Award winner. FYI, the name doesn't refer to slippers for monkeys; rather, “chimpfeet” is a nickname of company cofounder Nicky Homer. (Her husband gave her the moniker a few years ago because of the slapping noise her feet made when she walked across a tiled floor.) Now that we have that mystery cleared up, let's learn more about this site.

Why it won a Silver Award
For a little site “with a teensy budget, they are doing a lot of the right things,” said one judge. The home page employs “good visuals, with a solid attempt at navigation.” The calls to action on the home page are plentiful, noted another panelist, “and they are tastefully done and appropriate for the target market.” The functionality is “very, very good for a start-up business,” added the same judge: “They have clearly done their homework.”

In the merchandising department, “they have a good selection and it's surprisingly well organized,” marveled one judge. If you love dogs, how about some canine-themed tableware? If you're crazy about cats, perhaps a “Got Tuna?” feeding mat would brighten your day. Fish and bird lovers and pets are also represented at Chimpfeet.com, plus you can shop by breed or by brand. The site also has suggested cross-sells and displays recently viewed items.

Chimpfeet “did a nice job with the photography,” said one judge. “The images are well optimized for the Web — and the large-size pictures are great.” Another panelist noted, “Larger images are appropriate resolution and product pages are well organized.” Copy is light-hearted and fun, the judge said, “which is exactly what you'd expect from a site like this.”

Why it didn't win a Gold Award
Chimpfeet needs to step up its customer service levels. “The first page of the checkout is overwhelming — lots of text and too many instructions,” said one judge. “They should do something to make this more aesthetically pleasing.” The site should also promote its policies better, said another panelist. “As a shopper, I would not have been aware of the majority [of the policies] until I was in the checkout process.”
— MD

Creative director, marketing director, Webmaster: Tim Homer
Merchandiser/copywriter/photographer/illustrator: Nicky Homer