LOYAL SUBJECTS
Periodically I get calls from prospective clients stating that they want to start a loyalty program or club. When I start probing to understand what they
Marketing
Good calls for Wine Enthusiast
In July 2004, Elmsford, NY-based wine accessories cataloger The Wine Enthusiast tried something it had never done before: an outbound telemarketing campaign
Toy Story
The past few years have been anything but fun and games for New York-based cataloger/retailer FAO Schwarz. The purveyor of upscale toys survived two bankruptcies
Keeping it real
The Internet’s biggest mailbox providers, including Yahoo!, Microsoft, and AOL, are moving ahead with sender authentication solutions that will affect
Taking Credit
Given the proliferation of credit cards and that so many consumers are already saddled with debt, you may wonder whether it’s worth your while to offer
Arts and crafts and catalogs, oh my
The Craft & Hobby Association estimated in 2003 that in 80% of U.S. households at least one member participated in arts and crafts activities. The majority
Debunking myths of insert media
When Maryann Martindale, catalog and direct mail marketing manager of productivity tools merchant Franklin Covey, first considered accepting package inserts,
Getting Emotional: Why Segmentation Doesn’t Cut It
The simple purpose of market segmentation is to discover meaningful differences among a target audience. By segmenting the audience, we set out to better understand customers so that we can address them more precisely and persuasively. In the best cases, segments will differ in significant ways that, when addressed with new products or marketing programs, will provide a competitive advantage.
Promotions Giveth and Taketh Away
Promotional offers can increase response rate and demand per catalog among both the house file and prospect list segments, says Michael Grant of Scarsdale, NY-based catalog consultancy Michael Grant Direct. But the subsequent impact can vary by segment, so be sure to measure the downstream results.