22nd ANNUAL MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT AWARDS

Food

SILVER: PRINT CHANNEL

Harry & David | Harvest Celebration 2006
Can you fall in love with a peach?” asked one judge after seeing the cover of Harry & David's Harvest Celebration 2006 edition. You can actually fall in love with a photo of a peach — when lush photography shows such detail from the delicate fuzz of the fruit's skin to the juices pooling under a cut slice.

“Exceptional photography,” said another panelist about the cover, adding that the “sale” dot whack draws you in.

Why it won a Silver Award
The book's merchandising is, as one judge put it, if not perfect, “so close to perfect that one can barely discern the difference. A page selling buttery pound cake topped with raspberry sauce and Harry & David's signature Oregold peaches is “quite incredible.” To sum it up in one word, the judge added: “Drool.”

But Harry & David is much more than pretty pictures of fruits and desserts. Enticing copy such as “Juice, Ravishing, and Ready for shipment,” help cinch the sale. “Bold leads are effective in standing out to give a quick read of product positioning and benefits,” added another member of the panel.

Furthermore, the book makes good use of promotions to increase average order value, said one panelist. “Many spreads offer ‘Special Savings' and ‘Save 50% on a Second.' These types of promotions hold readers' attention throughout the catalog.” And the design makes it easy to shop, another judge pointed out. “The catalog makes effective use of hot spots for selling — particularly the order form.”

Should any customers have concerns about sending perishable gifts, Harry & David's superior service policies will put them at ease. The company “goes above and beyond in customer offerings,” said one judge, while another described the mailer's service as “friendly, capable, bend over backwards.” A third member of the judging panel said that the strong gurantee “effectively communicates ease of ordering.”

Why it didn't win a Gold Award
“The paper isn't the best for the quality of the product,” complained one panelist. Also, the judge said. “I'd like to see fewer images in the gutter with copy on the outside on the left-hand pages.”— MD

Director: Estin B. Kiger
Designers: M. Jovanovic, K. Barton, A. Fujihara, M. Edinger
Creative director: Cheryl Lewin
Marketing director: Bill Michel
Print/production director: Jack Kobinsky
Merchandiser: Denise Tedaldi
Copywriter: Marcus G. Smith
Photographer/illustrators: Ron Anderson, Eric Groetzinger
Printer: R.R. Donnelley
Color separator, prepress: Schawk
List manager/broker: American List Counsel
Cover paper: 60 lb., Stora Orion recycled
Text paper: 40 lb., Stora Nova press opaque recycled
Trim size: 7" × 10-1/2"
Number of pages: 48

SILVER: WEB CHANNEL

Harry & David | www.harryanddavid.com
You can almost taste the chocolaty, popcorn goodness of the company's Moose Munch snack mix as soon as you type in the URL harryanddavid.com. Then when you arrive at the site, you're likely to encounter the image of a big, juicy pear inviting you in for a bite. For the judges, everything about Harry & David's Website screams, “Come inside, and stay awhile.”

Why it won a Silver Award
Internet specials, free upgrades, Fruit of the Month Club, Buy two and save offers — as a judge put it, this site does it all when it comes to merchandising. The products are also consistent with Harry & David's positioning. The site loads quickly, and the search delivers the results of misspellings. The site also makes it easy for consumers both to sign up for a catalog and get on its e-mail lists.

Judges were impressed that the site offered a clear customer satisfaction guarantee. “I'm surprised they aren't using live help, but everything else is done beautifully,” a panelist said. “Guarantees should be homey and written in plain English. Their guarantee is crafted with elegance.”

Why it didn't win a Gold Award
The judging took place during the Easter season, and several panelists thought too much importance was paid to the holiday. “By overemphasizing Easter, they risk limiting their customers on the very first page,” a judge said. “I would think perhaps a banner to Easter Specials and a wider variety of product on the home page might increase click-through. And people without small children might be turned off by this home page.”

Another panelist thought the site needed some work on copy. “Obviously they know their customer. I would think they could make better use of editorials, detailed product information, and especially testimonials.”— TP

Creative directors: Estin B. Kiger, Ken Nash
Marketing director: Ann Ashbey
Webmaster: Sue Eagan
Website designer: Ken Nash
Merchandiser: Denise Tedaldi
Copywriter: Mary Pat Roche
Photographer/illustrator: Ron Anderson, Eric Groetzinger, Iridio
Other: Jeff Dunn