Some judges love the United Kingdom’s Office SMART’s SMART Selections magalog. Some don’t. But they all agree that when it comes to adding panache to the office supplies market, this Silver Award winner stands out among competitors around the world. It may not follow traditional direct marketing rules – “The front cover of the book doesn’t even list the telephone number,” a judge points out – but SMART Selections nonetheless produces enviable marketing results.
The judges universally praise the catalog’s immense assemblage of merchandise. Of course, all successful office suppliers require a deep selection to compete, and Office SMART follows industry standards here. But few can match the attention SMART Selections gives to every product in its line. Every manner of pen practically leaps from the pages in larger-than-life, full-color spreads, accompanied by clear explanations of benefits and a quirky editorial voice. For instance, a stock photograph of a quizzical woman in 1960s office regalia is captioned “It was so bright, so dazzling, with a weird unearthly glow – I’d never seen a highlighter like that before.”
But not all the judges appreciate SMART Selections’ sense of humor. “These are good product descriptions, and the photography is excellent,” says a judge, “but they’re disrupted by the overuse of chatty, magazine-style copy.” Another judge contends that the feature articles on topics such as the feng shui principles of design “have only limited value.”
When it comes to service and customer relationships, though, the judges agree that the catalog is serious and focused. Among its value-added services is the SYNOPSIS program: Office SMART promises customized service to every client through this five-step program that includes audits of a company’s office supplies purchase history, office productivity, health and safety, and environmental impact. Office SMART presents its proposal and creates an extranet link to its inventory tracking system. Customers can get real-time stock status information, prices, and an analysis of their purchasing trends compared to those of other companies.
The ultimate judges of the SMART Selections are, of course, its customers. The business catalog’s impressive sales show that this combination of colorful editorial, staggering merchandise selection, and innovative customer service is a hit with buyers. With results like these, SMART Selections can continue to celebrate its success with carefree headlines such as “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah,” while its competition simply says “Zip Drives.”