If you’re selling to scientists, don’t phase out the print catalog from your marketing strategy. Among the more than 1,000 scientists surveyed in a report by Arlington, VA, market research firm BioInformatics, 70% said it was important that they receive a print catalog even if the same information was available online, and even if they were likely to order online.
According to the report, “Life Science Product Catalogs: Maximizing Effectiveness in Print and Online,” after word of mouth from colleagues, print and online catalogs were the most useful sources of information for scientists searching for lab products. And 48% of those surveyed who use online catalogs more than four hours a week also spend more than four hours a week looking at print catalogs.
Among the print catalog features deemed most useful by the scientists surveyed: cross-indexing (83%), company information on the spine (75%), and a catalog number index (74%). The most useful online catalog features included links to manuals, protocol, and similar information (95%), links to journal articles (86%), and product availability information (85%).