Holiday Print Marketing
Consolidated Press

This holiday season, get back in black with print

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The holiday season is upon us! Retailers can ensure a jolly holiday with print marketing plans that include catalogs, direct mail, and end-of-the-year postal promotions. With online advertising becoming both more expensive and more complicated to measure, print’s role in connecting with people and driving consumers to both physical stores and websites is on an uptick.

To underline the importance of print products in the retail industry, it’s essential to consider the National Retail Federation (NRF) Holiday Retail Sales Forecast. The NRF forecasts that retail sales during the US holiday season in 2023 will reach between $5.13 trillion and $5.23 trillion, or a growth of 4% to 6% over 2022, with multi-channel shopping (stores plus online) coming out ahead. This growth holds immense potential for retailers who leverage print products to connect with consumers and drive sales.

The Resurgence of Catalog Publishing and Mailing

In recent years, we’ve witnessed a resurgence in catalog publishing and mailing. Retailers are rediscovering the power of catalogs as an effective tool to engage consumers.

In August, Digiday reported that Nordstrom re-launched its anniversary sale catalog this year after phasing out the print publication in 2019. And Amazon-owned online retailer Zappos launched its first print catalog as part of its back-to-school marketing efforts. Amazon has been sending out a holiday toy catalog since 2018.

Here are some key reasons why catalogs are making a comeback:

Tangible and trusted

Catalogs provide a tangible experience that digital channels cannot replicate. Shoppers can flip through the pages, mark items of interest, and keep the catalog for future reference. This physical interaction creates a lasting impression and enhances brand recall.

Printed catalogs convey a sense of trust and credibility. Consumers often perceive printed materials as more reliable, which can enhance the perceived value of the products and the brand itself.

Curated shopping experience

Catalogs allow retailers to curate a personalized shopping experience for their customers. By showcasing select products, arranging them aesthetically, and providing detailed descriptions, retailers guide shoppers through their offerings, increasing the likelihood of a purchase.

Multi-channel marketing

Catalogs seamlessly integrate with online and offline channels. Retailers can include personalized URLs or unique promo codes that direct recipients to their websites for online purchases. Zappos is using QR codes to measure how many people are engaging with the catalog, what they’re buying and how much traffic the catalog is driving. These tools create a bridge between the physical and digital shopping worlds.

Targeted marketing

Catalogs enable highly targeted marketing efforts. Retailers can send catalogs to specific demographics, past customers, or those who have shown interest in their products, resulting in a higher conversion rate compared to mass advertising.

Direct Mail and EDDM: Niche marketing strategies

Direct mail, including EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail), is another powerful tool in a retailer’s arsenal. EDDM allows retailers to target specific neighborhoods or ZIP codes, making it an excellent choice for local businesses. It’s an efficient way to promote in-store events, sales, and special offers to the immediate community.

Personalized messaging

Direct mail, when well-executed, can provide a highly personalized experience. Customized offers, product recommendations, and exclusive discounts can all be tailored to individual recipients, increasing engagement.

Staying top of mind

Regularly sending direct mail keeps your brand top of mind for consumers. Whether it’s a monthly newsletter, postcard, or promotional flyer, consistent communication helps maintain customer loyalty. Come holiday time, sending a specialized mailer advertising gifts or services specific to the holidays will capitalize on the relationship you’ve been cultivating all year long.

Measurable results

Modern direct mail campaigns can be tracked and measured, allowing retailers to accurately assess their return on investment (ROI). Retailers can fine-tune their strategies by analyzing response rates and conversions for better results.

Maximize Impact with USPS End-of-Year Promotions

The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers various promotions throughout the year to encourage businesses to use direct mail effectively. One way for retailers to maximize their impact is to take advantage of these promotions, especially during the holiday season. The USPS 2023 promo calendar provides a roadmap for these opportunities, and we are happy to help our customers sort out which will work best for their audience.

  • Emerging Technology (now includes mobile shopping) – Retailers can experiment with emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) to create immersive and engaging direct mail experiences. This promotion also encourages the integration of direct mail with mobile technology. Retailers can leverage QR codes and other mobile features to enhance the shopping experience and drive consumers to their websites and stores. Discount ends Nov. 30.
  • Retargeting – The Retargeting promotion incentivizes marketers to send personalized postcards to recent website visitors who didn’t convert. Discount ends Nov. 30.
  • Informed Delivery Promotion – Informed Delivery is a USPS service that provides consumers with a digital preview of their incoming mail. Retailers can use this promotion to complement their direct mail efforts with digital content, further reinforcing their message. Discount ends Dec. 31
  • Reply Mail IMbA – This promotion encourages Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM) and High Volume QBRM customers to adopt Intelligent Mail® barcode Accounting (IMbA). Participants will need to enroll in IMbA and use either a static or serialized barcode. By adopting these tools, customers can improve visibility, while also delivering easier payment methods and faster delivery speeds. Discount ends Dec. 31.

Bling in the New Year

Print products such as catalogs, direct mail, and EDDM remain powerful tools for retailers to connect with consumers and drive traffic to both physical stores and websites. The popularity of print catalogs, the personalization of direct mail, and the various USPS end-of-year promotions all provide opportunities for retailers to make a significant impact. As the NRF holiday retail sales forecast indicates, the holiday season presents a prime opportunity for retailers to leverage print products and maximize their sales potential. With the right strategies in place, print is a valuable and effective marketing channel in the ever-evolving retail landscape.

Summer Tourism
Consolidated Press

Use brochures, posters, guides and maps to promote your region’s summer fun

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When the sun comes out, people start looking to keep busy, feel refreshed, see something new, and get onto the open road.

Whether you own a business or work for a city, a parks department, a farmers’ market, or a nonprofit, summer is the time for printing projects aimed at the public—posters, brochures, calendars, maps, menus, guides, event collateral, direct mail, and more.

Posters reach more people.

Posters are an underrated source of advertising, and they are excellent at bringing people back to the spot they saw the poster in the first place. For example, if you are advertising a new farmer’s market or opening one for the season, plaster the area with posters. 

An event like a farmers market draws mostly local people—people who tend to live, work, and play in the same places day after day. So it’s easy to ask them to return to a place they are already hanging out for something fun and ongoing like a farmer’s market, monthly flea market, or summer concert series. All they have to remember is the time or date. 

The same principles work for one-time events like summer festivals, retail events, civic volunteer opportunities, and more. Be sure to print the website, hashtag or a QR code on the poster for an even stronger memory aid. A simple and clear call-to-action (CTA) like “Post a selfie with this poster” will go a long way toward engaging people and bringing them back to the very place they are standing —with friends.

Read this comprehensive guide to creating posters that bring a buzz to your event.

Brochures are marketing’s best bet.

Everybody likes to pick up free stuff! Brochures are better than free—they represent possibility, excitement, travel, fun, relief from boredom, and future purchases and services that make life better.

Consider these compelling statistics when planning your summer advertising campaigns:

  • 7 out of 10 tourists, as well as visitors, tend to pick up brochures
  • 95% of visitors that obtain brochures become aware of a business
  • 80% of people consider visiting the business they saw in brochures

Keep in mind that brochures can truly reflect your brand’s aesthetic or personality. They don’t have to be the glossy three-fold six-panel classics we know from brochure stands in visitor centers across America. You can produce maps, calendars, posters, sales flyers, menus, and destination collateral, all in brochure form.

We can help you stand out with:

  • Strong brand identity through color matching and design
  • A variety of paper choices for your budget and brand
  • Professional folding and printing so your brochure is easy to read
  • Fun and functional stickers and seals
  • Addressing, sorting, storage, and direct mailing (if you want to go that route!)

Get on the map.

A March 2023 survey and report from The Vacationer revealed the potential for an enormous uptick in travel—especially domestic travel—this summer.

As summarized in Travel Agent Central this month:

Eighty-five percent of Americans plan to travel this summer. Nearly half of them are planning to travel more this summer compared to last, and those who intend to travel this summer represent a 5% increase over 2022. Ninety percent of American adults aged 30 to 44 intend to travel this summer, as do 88% of 45- to 60-year-olds and 87% of adults under 30. Forty-three percent of women said they intend to travel more, while  40 percent of men said they will.

Sixty-two percent of respondents said their travels will be domestic only. Seventeen percent said their travels would be domestic and international, while 6 percent said they would only be traveling internationally. Nearly four in five travelers plan to take a road trip this summer, most traveling between 100 and 500 miles. 

Now is the time to get your community on a map. There are so many ways and reasons to do this!

  • Regional and state visitor associations can create road trip maps of cities and tourist destinations. 
  • Cities and towns can publish a map of shopping and dining hubs, pointing visitors to all the places to play and spend money while passing through. Locals love these maps too, when they are updated regularly. 
  • Hotels and convention centers can publish maps of nearby nightlife, dining, and daytime activities. 
  • Tourist bureaus can offer maps of day trips within a radius of your city or region. 
  • Business hubs and neighborhood associations can promote dining and shopping with hyper-local maps, capitalizing on “coop-ertition” to bring more people to the location by displaying or handing out the map at each business in the area.
  • Local Arts and Entertainment can distribute information on upcoming show schedules, venues, special events, or concerts. 

Organizations often have state or local funds to produce maps promoting their area. Local businesses can offset these costs by advertising or paying for a prominent location on the map. Be sure to create a connected website for the latest updates, specials, and events.

Invite summer fun—and spending!—with print products like maps, brochures, direct mail, guides and posters. Visitors and locals alike will be happy to jump in.

With our efficient presses and professional staff, we can help you steward your resources while creating important print products that benefit everyone. Let us help you—reach out today.

CatalogsInAction
Consolidated Press

The Benefits of B2B Catalogs

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If you are a manufacturer or wholesale business, you know getting your product into the right hands is vital to your sales. One way to get a buyer to notice your product is to put a catalog mailed directly in their hands. Like in the B2C space, B2B catalogs are tangible content pieces that have a long shelf life, can build a brand, help cross-sell, and offer an overall picture of what is available.

What You See

Because a printed catalog remains in someone’s sight, the brand, products, and other details stay on the buyer’s mind. Especially for manufacturers and wholesalers who offer many different products in larger quantities, a catalog with comprehensive information makes it easier for a buyer to make wise decisions. Instead of clicking through tabs on a web browser, they can enjoy the convenience of having a single piece to view.

In addition, printed catalogs are more likely to be retained for future reference. Suppose a customer likes an in-stock product but is interested in a different size or color. In this case, the seller can quickly refer to the catalog rather than attempting to navigate a website.

Another advantage to a print catalog is that the visual elements help build brand recognition. The way the photographs are styled, the colors and fonts used, even the finish and weight of the paper, create positive brand associations.

Finally, a print catalog shows commitment. The planning, design, and distribution of catalogs assure your audience that you invest in quality and aren’t afraid to promote your business and showcase your products in the best light.

What You Get

Whether you are a buyer who is sourcing inventory for a storefront, a construction company looking for building materials, or a manufacturer locating replacement parts, the experience of browsing a catalog is more immersive than scanning multiple websites. As the digital space becomes noisier with pop-up ads, email notifications, and social media alerts, having curated content in one place lets the viewer discover products and potentially uncover new items that may not have been generally found with an online search.

SampleCatalogsImg Wholesalers and manufacturers can use catalogs to inform businesses that they have options. With delays in the supply chain disrupting inventory, the arrival of a wholesaler’s printed piece can open the door to new relationships. On the flip side, showcasing your product in print can help move excess inventory from your shelves to where it is needed most.

Let Consolidated Press help you open those doors and move those products. Whether you need to provide a business customer a quick and simple directory of parts, or you want to feature beautiful goods in quality imagery and special paper finishings, Consolidated Press can help you explore cost-effective options. We also specialize in one-stop printing, binding, and mailing, for an end-to-end process that will streamline distribution, getting your pages where they are needed most.

Sales
Consolidated Press

Direct Mail and Catalogs Give You a Purchasing Advantage

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In this most digital of the digital ages, a catalog that shows up in your customer’s mailbox still delivers. While so many aspects of people’s lives moved online – from Zoom meetings to telehealth doctor appointments – putting a printed piece into consumers’ hands remains a reliable way to build brand loyalty and drive sales. 

Eyes on the Prize 

Consumers spend more time with direct mail pieces than online ads or email marketing. On average, advertising mail is part of a household for 17 days. Up to 90% of mail gets opened, as opposed to only 20-30% of emails. Every generation reports being a fan of physical mail: looking forward to receiving it, taking the time to read through it, and preferring to engage with it instead of marketing emails.  

The tangible nature of direct mail evokes positive feelings in recipients, creating memories and connections. Catalogs, in particular, are accessible in many settings and at almost any time, allowing consumers to browse and shop at their convenience. The way catalogs enable companies to incorporate content, telling a story while featuring products, has a lot of appeal for consumers. 

Most companies use a multi-page marketing publication to introduce consumers to new products and feature a select number of items rather than everything “on the shelves.” In addition, when catalogs and brochures are used to present seasonal offerings, customers look forward to what is next from the company. 

Options to Shop 

The high visibility format of a print catalog invites people to browse while also giving them various ways to make a purchase. These page-turning engagements have proven over and over again to drive sales. Catalogs are most successful when used as a launching pad to omnichannel marketing. They inspire people to use their phones to purchase more than social media ads do.  

  • 72% of people surveyed said catalogs make them more interested in a retailer’s product 
  • 84% have made a purchase after seeing an item in a catalog 
  • 60% of catalog recipients visit the website associated with the catalog they receive 
  • Direct mail recipients spent 28% more money online or in-store than people who didn’t receive direct mail 

Combining catalogs with direct mail postcards is another way to boost browsing and shopping engagement. A postcard with a promotion reminds customers that they were interested in an item, and now they can save by using a special offer.  

Easy-to-track results 

Deliverables such as ROI and attribution are easy to track by using catalogs as well. Leveraging industry databases allows companies to segment customers by buyer behavior, product or service niche, and vertical, getting the right product details into the buyer’s hands. Catalogs can be tracked by mail date, customer codes, and source codes to accurately attribute sales. Companies can also use information from digital apps to track how specific catalogs are performing.   

Supporting Sustainability 

Before decrying the potential environmental impact of printing catalogs, know that the print and paper industries have a long history of developing and employing many eco-friendly practices. Sustainable systems are much more in demand now. Vegetable- and soy-based ink long ago replaced petroleum-based ink; vegetable-based inks release only 2-4% volatile organic compounds (VOCs), compared to the 100% of solvent-based inks. Energy sourcing and usage, responsible forestry and paper supply chain certifications and recycling programs all come together to reinforce the positive footprint printed materials bring to the marketing arena.  

Ask about our commitment at Consolidated Press toward sustainability, waste reduction, carbon emission reduction, and other steps in place to protect the environment. Working with a knowledgeable printer will give your catalog a look and feel that your customers will respond to while meeting your company’s eco-friendly goals.  

 

 

direct mail
Consolidated Press

Direct Mail is Worth a Thousand Words

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According to a study of commercial printing trends, direct mail campaigns are on an upward swing. It’s expected that almost 72% of corporations will use direct mail, including catalogs, postcards, brochures, and books. Well-executed direct mail campaigns have a higher response rate than digital tactics, and direct mail reaches audiences that online campaigns don’t.  

An outstanding metric to note is that companies of all ages – even new companies founded in the digital age – use direct mail. Companies 10 and 20 years old are leveraging direct mail at rates of 14.5% and 15.8%, respectively. Google, Amazon, Door Dash, and industry leaders in real estate, health care, leisure and travel are all using direct mail marketing to reach consumers.   

direct mail

Sending a postcard as a direct mail marketing piece is a quick and versatile way to get consumers’ attention. Using eye-catching graphics, an attention-grabbing headline, and quality card stock gives a postcard heft and authority. A brochure mailer has the advantage of giving consumers more information than a postcard, while still providing contact information and calls-to-action. Staying in front of your customers with relevant, targeted messages and offers can help keep your business front of mind.

One cost-effective method to reach customers is with self-mailers. A quick way to get your offers or branded materials into the mailstream is by creating a self-mailable piece or publication that can be inkjet addressed inline as it is printed—no inserting into envelopes or additional assembly work. The printed piece catches the eye as soon as it lands in the mailbox.  

More Direct Than Email 

  • Consumers like getting mail, and they especially seem to like postcards and catalogs.  
  • Because of their tangibility, direct mail pieces last longer than emails.  
  • Direct mail postcards are perfect for coupons. Putting a coupon on a postcard makes it easy to hold on to, and easy to use. 
  • Direct mail is also perfect for images. On a postcard, a powerful image paired with short, concise copy tells the receiver everything they need to know at a glance. With brochures and catalogs, companies have the opportunity to tell a longer story, and still emphasize image and copy elements. 
  • Response rates to digital interactive elements, also called digital calls to action, have doubled in the past four years. These callouts include social media channels, QR codes, and prompts to visit a website. 
  • Postcards and brochures are versatile. These types of direct mail come in a variety of sizes and card stocks, with specialty coatings and graphic elements that can make an immediate impact. 

Consolidated Press is your printing partner for direct mail. Contact us to talk about specialty printing, unique sizes and special mailing rates. 

 

Catalog Magazine
Consolidated Press

Catalogs are a Powerful Investment in the Marketing Mix

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A great printer increases the return on that investment

It’s fun to get mail, and studies show consumers simply love it. Yet for a business, communication needs to be purposeful and powerful. With every page, there is a new opportunity to create a positive and lasting relationship with consumers that need your products and services. 

Enter the direct mail catalog—a powerful marketing tool that works synergistically with online purchasing, dynamic user experiences, and superior measurables.

Simply put, integrated online and in-hand marketing campaigns add up to much more than the sum of their parts. Beautiful, targeted, interactive catalogs are the beating heart of those campaigns. 

Learn the powerful ways catalogs convert your browsers into buyers, and how Consolidated Press can leverage that spark.

Customers who have a multi-channel relationship with companies buy more — and more often

Multichannel shoppers spend three times more than single-channel shoppers, and more than half of marketers today use three or more channels to promote their brands. Nordstrom reported recently that customers who connect with its brand through multiple channels spend four times as much as those who don’t. And while 95% of marketers know they need a multichannel strategy, most do not have one. Targeted catalogs offer that extra channel for buyer connection.

Customers are 46% more likely to buy from a company they are familiar with

Seasonal mailings keep that relationship up and offer enticing solutions and ideas just as consumer interest is peaking. (Think seed catalogs arriving in February just as the ice begins to thaw. So exciting!) But it’s important to be very targeted and personalized with your message in those seasonal campaigns because your direct mail is likely to arrive in the same week or even on the same day as your competitors. If you speak to those consumers directly while pushing them to your website or other online sales channel, they will have your company at top of mind.

Direct mail response rates are excellent and on the rise

Response rates to direct mail have increased dramatically in recent years, both to house lists and to prospects. More than half of catalogs are reported to be read or set aside to read later, an astonishing number compared to email marketing. Recent studies found that direct mail averaged a 4.4% response rate, compared to email’s average response rate of 0.12%. According to direct mail industry trends, a whopping 90.9% of merchants still use catalogs as a primary marketing tool, and 44.4% report their catalogs’ circulation grew year over year. 

The return on investment for catalogs is high, but smart businesses still want to keep that investment strategically budgeted and targeted.

This is where Consolidated Press comes in

A powerhouse printer like Consolidated Press can keep costs down through scale and technology. To achieve that sought-after ROI, catalog and direct mail printers need to be lean, agile, and consistent, reducing waste and saving time. With our web, sheetfed and digital presses, your project will always be on the most efficient equipment for the job. CP’s Quality Assurance process guarantees that crisp imagery and brand colors will be perfectly matched in each new publication printed, ensuring clients are always presenting a consistent brand to their customers.

Tip: Plan and design several seasons’ worth of catalogs at once

Increase brand familiarity and ensure your catalogs reach your buyers and prospective buyers just when they are ready to order!

21st-century printers help clients target their customers through clean data, versioned copy, and multi-channel connections. Consolidated Press can easily put the most persuasive message in front of stakeholders on the house list or tweak it for high-value prospective customers. If our clients have data on their customers, we can use it to the fullest extent during the printing, mailing, and metrics tracking processes. We can help you strategically and seamlessly connect your paper catalog with your digital point of sale using dynamic technologies and tracking codes.

Tip: Come to us early in your process, and we can make sure your data is clean and ready to target buyers and users

Remember: the better the data, the broader the reach!

Consolidated Press employs a consultative approach with our clients to achieve stand-out publications that will be read right away. We can walk you through the benefits of various paper stock and finishes to both save mailing costs and create an enticing user experience. We have the capability to print unique sizes and shapes, creating a coffee-table piece that will draw eyes and hands. Consolidated Press utilizes the strength of its front-end software to manage color definitions on the press, resulting in consistent quality throughout a project’s run, and on future runs.

Tip: Mailing costs cut into profits

Work with one of our consultants to achieve that sweet spot of eye-catching innovative paper that is low weight and highly printable!

Whatever your products or services, a series of beautiful, well-targeted catalogs can increase user engagement, resulting in higher sales and revenue. Call or click to find how Consolidated Press can put the pieces into place.