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“The catalogue gives a reason to reconnect with customers and to contact prospects.”
Category:
Business to business Company name: DC Iron
Product range: Cast and wrought iron products and handrails
DC Iron was originally a manufacturer and supplier of stairway handrails. This is still a significant part of the business, but it has also diversified into supplying cast and wrought components. Customers are end users as well as contractors. DC Iron had previously produced a catalogue but in a very short while acknowledged that a catalogue was a good idea, but it needed to work harder.
Like all suppliers to the building and construction industry, sales started to decline in 2008. DC Handrails knew that the only way to survive, and ultimately prosper during this difficult period, was to fight back.
The catalogue it had previously produced was A4, 108 pages, perfect-bound and weighed 539g—totally unsuited to cost-effective mailing. What’s more, the catalogue was single colour apart from the outer cover. The overall effect was of a directory and not a catalogue designed to sell.
It was important that we reviewed the
format. We proposed reducing the page size to 280 x 200mm and using much lighter stock. By doing this we were able to increase the page count to 132 and reduce the weight to 277g; a saving of almost 50 percent. It was already looking leaner and more focused.
Then next we turned to the design and “voice” of the catalogue. Although primarily a “trade” supplier, installers often used the catalogue to show prospective customers and give them ideas for installation. So it had to be far more engaging and almost like a consumer catalogue. It needed some kind of emotional aspect and it needed to inspire.
The most obvious thing was to introduce colour and this was not as easy as we thought—most products are made from black iron, needing further finishing. We overcame this by including images of finished installations, almost like “get this look!”. The images highlighted how the individual components could be combined; this enabled end users see what they could achieve, but also allow installers to show what was possible. We also included distinctive Best Seller/
From Only…/New icons that highlighted products. This inclusion of colour transformed the personality of the catalogue. Although the products were primarily black, they are installed and used in a world full of colour.
Equally as important, the catalogue actively started to sell the products. It was no longer a passive directory, but a very proactive sales person. And as with 1stMX, it gave DC Handrails a reason to reconnect
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The DC Handrails catalogue helped bring designs to life
with its customers and also gave a reason to contact prospects. Thanks to the redesign, DC Handrails experienced a record September last year; an increase in average order value and more repeat customers. Not a bad result and it demonstrates just how powerful catalogues can be.
This short article really highlights two things: if you haven’t got a catalogue you should get one, and if you have one it is imperative that it works as hard as it can. Catalogues are here to stay—print works.
Ian Simpson is managing director at design, print and marketing company Catalogues 4 Business.
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