Printed catalogs: an ally for your company

Are printed catalogs still as efficient today? At PCG we show you all the interest of the catalogue, its adaptation to the development of websites and above all, how to properly carry out your campaign!

Indeed, while most marketing materials have an advertising vocation and thus contain a minimum of information to simply capture the audience, the catalogue has an informative purpose and thus offers a maximum of details on the products.

There is nothing easier than a catalogue to discover your products. They provide an overview of the items, and the customer can scribble information next to the item he is interested in, surround it, or cut it out if he wishes. You can also find the desired page without any problem, by placing a bookmark, a piece of paper, or for the most determined, by memorizing the page number !

One of the undeniable advantages of the catalogue is its possibility of transformation – you can take notes about the desired item, or surround it, or cut it out in order to go into the store with its list of products. The customer only has to collect it from the shelves or order it from the seller.

Inspire and engage the customer

Highlight your products and offer images in which the customer can identify! Whether you work with professionals or individuals, you will use their imagination and they will be able to draw inspiration from your ideas for using your products. Let’s take the example of the famous Swedish giant Ikea. How can we not project ourselves when the latter offers such attractive showroom images in its catalogue?

Mixing paper and digital media: a complementary combo

Every company now has a website and displays on social media. The catalogue, which was commonplace in the past, now makes it possible to differentiate yourself. Nowadays paper is more appreciated because it is rarer and therefore more noble.
But the catalogue does not represent an end in itself: in order to obtain the best sales results, it is necessary to mix it with digital.

To do this, you have several tools at your disposal. The most common is the QR code. This code can be scanned by a mobile device, phone, tablet and others. It redirects its user directly to your website, or the page you want him to go to. It should be recalled that the use of mobile devices in the commercial sector is increasing exponentially. Smaller, it allows the customer and the business manager on the move to keep in constant contact with his supplier. This allows references to the website to be placed in the catalogue: the catalogue is the showcase, the subjective and attractive side, and the website is used for quick ordering.

Despite its many advantages, it is not a magic solution. To take advantage of the creation and distribution of a catalogue, various parameters must be taken into account.

➤ Determine who your target audience is. The design of your catalogue, whether in its design or content, must be adapted to the people you are targeting. Study their tastes and needs in order to put all the chances on your side to trigger a sale. Also think about your prospecting area! For example, if you want the customer to come to your store after consulting your catalogue, it would be wise to distribute it within a 15 km radius of your store. It would be a shame if you wasted time and money distributing your catalogues to the wrong audience. Also consider determining a distribution period in order to be able to evaluate the results of your campaign and adjust it if necessary!

➤ Your message must be clear and your content well organized. Talk about yourself and how you can help your customers! Introduce your catalogue with a page describing your company and products. Then propose a summary with the page numbers so that your customer or prospect can find his way around. You can then start working on the product sheets sorted by product type!

➤ An attractive design will allow you to stand out thanks to the catalogue. Add effects, reliefs and other finishes that match your brand image. All material marketing media have their own aesthetics designed to touch the audience’s sensitivity and thus arouse their desire to learn more about the content of the latter.