The new year brought a new look for Aerosoles. The manufacturer/marketer of shoes and accessories introduced its redesigned catalog with the mailing this month of its Spring Preview edition.
Aerosoles mailed 630,000 copies of the 36-page book to house file and rented names. The company took new photos of all its products and added lifestyle images and scenic shots, bringing the number of photos in the book to 94, almost triple the amount used in last fall’s edition. The page layouts were redesigned as well. For instance, whereas the cover used to include one lifestyle image, it now shows product and lifestyle shots in a gridlike format.
With the redesign, the Edison, NJ-based company wanted to create imagery that would be consistent across all channels, including its stores, its print ads, and the Internet. This is the first time that catalog photos were shot in conjunction with a print ad campaign, says Kimberley Grayson, senior vice president of marketing. The redesign coincides with Aerosoles’ continuing expansion into ancillary merchandise lines. In its 2001 holiday catalog, Aerosoles introduced socks, tights, and other legwear. And three styles of sunglasses were added to the current spring book.
Aerosoles is so confident in the redesign and new offerings, it sent 40% of the January mailing to prospects, up significantly from 5% for previous mailings. The book is already running 8.5% ahead of its sales plan for the projected life of the edition, Grayson says, and sales per catalog are up 11.6% above plan.