It’s not easy to create a compelling catalog cover when you sell products such as safety signage, but Specify Brady rises to the occasion. The cover, which features the name in yellow lettering “stamped” across a muted montage of the company’s products, is a clever but subtle call to action, according to one judge. The tagline, “Do It Once. Do It Right,” further bolsters Specify Brady’s position. But one panelist thought that the cover did not fully convey the purpose of the catalog: to develop interest and increase sales in new and existing safety and facility identification products and services from Brady Signmark.
The panelists agreed that the merchandise selection of safety signs, tools to make signs, and safety products is extensive, well organized, and appropriate for the target market of maintenance, safety, and operations managers. The book provides “good organization of a myriad of niche product and a comprehensive SKU count,” said a panelist. The products are organized by merchandise category, while an index is color-coded by category to correspond to the page tabs throughout the book.
But the judges gave the copy mixed reviews, with one panelist pointing out that it informs rather than sells. Others agreed that the copy should mention more product benefits, although the book makes good use of callouts to show features.
The panelists were impressed with the customer services offered in the catalog. A 12-page inset details the Custom Express Shop, which allows customers to fax customized orders to local Specify Brady distributors. The VIP (“Visually Instructive Plant”) services, such as workshops, seminars, safety sign evaluations and facility assessments offered by Brady Signmark, drew rave reviews. Still, the judges thought that some of the services could have been promoted better. For instance, one judge could not find a guarantee. The phone number is also difficult to find; it’s listed only on the back cover and some pages of the inset.
Overall, the judges were impressed with the catalog’s marketing of such a product-intensive vehicle. Said one judge, “The breadth of assortment creates customer confidence and loyalty.” What’s more, as another judge pointed out, “focusing on services that differentiate Specify Brady from the competition is effective in promoting a long-term relationship.”
Specify Brady
Brady Worldwide
2221 W. Camden Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53209
414-228-5965
www.bradysignmark.com
Company founded: 1914
Director/production manager/marketing manager/merchandiser:
Sandy Davis
Designer/copywriter/photographer:
A.G. Barry Associates
Printer: Wallace Integrated Graphics
Color separator: Scan Communications
Cover paper: 80 lb.
Text paper: 42.5 lb.
Number of pages: 264
Trim size: 8″ × 10-1/2″