Brigade Quartermaster renews its military focus

The events of Sept. 11 have led Brigade Quartermasters back to its roots. With its fall catalog, the $25 million-plus marketer of military- and security-type equipment and apparel is once again targeting public-safety professionals and military personnel.

When Kennesaw, GA-based Brigade was founded in 1976, it focused largely on the armed forces and security markets, says director of marketing Wendy Abney. “But 10 years ago, we got more into a general population mode to promote our products to the mainstream,” she says, adding items such as military-themed toys and hunting videos to its product line.

With its latest catalog, however, Brigade has dropped novelty and nonfunctional items, replacing them with more uniforms, holsters, flashlights, knives, and the like. The page count for the fall book, which begins mailing in early August, is 132, up from 80 pages. The company spent nearly 30% more than it typically would for a fall catalog in marketing, production, and personnel costs.

About 450,000 copies will be mailed, a 22% increase from last fall. Approximately 100,000 copies are going to military installations and public-safety professionals. Thirty percent of the mailing is going to prospects.