In what has become a trend, all of our new catalogs this month started as Websites.
In hopes to help more consumers find that next Monet – or Renoir, or Picasso – Web marketer Next Monet launched a print catalog. The company has more than 10,000 original works of fine art available on its Website; the 56-page catalog that dropped in November sells more than 130 images, both framed and unframed, with prices ranging from $150 to $25,000.
The first mailing went to 350,000 names, 95% of which were rented, says founder/CEO Myrna Nickelsen. The catalog targeted previous art consumers ages 27-47 with an annual income of more than $75,0000.
Nickelsen says she was pleasantly surprised at the initial results. The average order size during the first week was $3,500; at press time, further analysis had not yet been done.
The catalog’s performance made Nickelsen a believer in direct mail: “It was a less-expensive way to let people know that we exist than traditional advertising, and we could target it more readily with rented names.” The company tentatively plans to mail the catalog quarterly.