Using Market Research to Help Break Through Catalog Clutter

If you open your mailbox today, chances are that there will be a catalog in it. Even with the explosion in online purchasing, paper catalogs continue to be an important part of the retail marketing mix. Whether they spur traditional mail- or telephone-ordering or, more often now, online purchasing and even foot traffic in brick and mortar stores, catalogs remain critical for retailers. They not only show consumers what is available, but they also serve as an important branding tool.

Even if the recipient does not open or thoroughly review a catalog, its cover, its size and the kind of paper it is printed on can all telegraph meaning about the sender’s brand. But isn’t there much more to be gained if the consumer does open the catalog?

How Can Marketers Maximize the Likelihood That a Catalog Is Opened?

Based on an online survey among a panel of consumers nationwide, TRC estimates that the average household receives 3.7 catalogs per week.  That is nearly 200 in the course of a year!

So how can catalog marketers break through the mailbox clutter and inspire consumers to look at what is actually inside their materials? We asked our national panel about some factors that influence their decisions to open (or not open) a catalog they receive. A key learning is something catalog marketers would certainly confirm: targeting is critical. Product interest and perceived need account for a large share of the decision to open a catalog, so getting the catalog to the right person is of course essential.

But once the catalog is in the right mailbox, it is clear that what the recipient sees on its cover will be important in whether or not the catalog is opened. First and foremost is the specific offer (sale, percent off, etc.) highlighted on that cover. Cover imagery also plays a role, particularly if the brand is familiar to the recipient.

Take a look at the accompanying chart, and note that we asked some respondents to think about catalogs they might receive from familiar companies, while others considered catalogs from companies they had not heard of before. All of those answering had indicated earlier in the survey that they receive and open/look through catalogs in a typical week.

Leveraging Consumer Research in Catalog Cover Selection

Knowing that the cover can be so important in whether a catalog is opened, TRC believes it is well worth it to devote resources to ensure that the right cover is used. While some catalog marketers will test multiple covers prior to full mail launches, it is impractical to test more than just a few. Those few are typically selected from among a broader set – based on “gut feel” or simple preferences on the part of the design team.

But what if there was an efficient, consumer data driven method to select a “winning” cover from among a broad set of candidates? TRC has developed just that method: our approach leverages our proprietary Bracket™ survey technology to submit a large number of cover designs to a tournament-type evaluation that yields rankings and relative distance across the entire set of designs. An even more streamlined approach, Message Test Express™ or MTE™, can provide similar insights for up to 16 cover designs – in around a week and for a cost of approximately $10,000.

Considering the volume that any catalog must compete against in the typical recipient’s mailbox, isn’t it practical to maximize the likelihood that the catalog will be opened? Concise, consumer-driven metrics on likely success have been shown in our experience to be superior to “gut feel” evaluations and are certainly more affordable than in-market testing of even a small number of options. Why risk missing a great opportunity by overlooking an optimal cover execution?