It is incumbent on business-to business catalogs to provide extensive information about their products, but Lab Safety Supply manages to go beyond this requirement, making the copy easy to understand and avoiding the “boring” trap. As one judge said, “It is an impressive achievement to have thousands of copy blocks read well, especially when the products are industrial.”
Designed to have a long shelf life, Lab Safety Supply offers guaranteed pricing for the entire year. The judges pointed out that the catalog manages to feature brand-name products alongside its own private-label goods without compromising its own brand identity or confusing the customer. What’s more, Lab Safety makes a point of tagging new items, highlighting its ongoing efforts to expand the product assortment. As one judge said, “Seeing all the new items makes me confident that Lab Safety will always strive toward improvement.”
But while the merchandise line is extensive, it’s surprisingly easy to find the items you need. Products are organized into color-coded categories, with tabs along the side of each page for quick reference.
Given the wealth of merchandise to choose from, the judges were downright stunned to see that Lab Safety Supply had selected to showcase a flashlight and knives – hardly typical maintenance supplies – on its back cover. The panel felt that the cataloger had missed out on a prime opportunity to highlight more representative – or more exciting – wares.
Several judges used the word “friendly” to describe the catalog, thanks to the many photos of people using the products. This adds a personal touch and breaks up the monotony of product shots, which can be stultifying. Customer service policies were friendly as well. The judges singled out the postage-paid change-of-address insert card as a great feature: Not only does it give customers a hassle-free way to change their mailing address, but it also enables Lab Safety to keep its database accurate.
As one judge put it, “Given all the constraints of the business-to-business world, this company managed to put out a well-produced book.” Overall, the panelists agreed, Lab Safety Supply has upped the ante with its exceptional merchandising and creative.