Once upon a time …
Welcome to The Catalog Chronicles, an on-going study of the catalog industry. In a prior life I was a newspaper publisher and editor (and blogs are a terrific writing platform). I learned from some greats in the business. A newspaper records the day’s or week’s events, sometimes with commentary, but usually its just the facts. Assembled over time the newspaper serves as the recorded history of a town, a nation, a profession or an industry. And so it is with a blog.
The catalog industry and direct marketing are going through wrenching change. As a former catalog CEO and publisher, now head of Thomas Associates, I have used both ink and electrons to build communities of readers and buyers. I see two reasons to think that the industry as we know it might extinguish itself- and The Catalog Chronicles may be the only “insider” history read to our great grand children about a charming industry, long, long ago on a small blue planet that once was … OK, maybe that’s a bit melodramatic.
- First, there is a “too-slow-to-change” industry stance in the face of fundamental change. I recently spoke at the DMA’s Catalog on the Road conference. There was much talk about the rising costs of doing the catalog business (paper, ink, freight, postage) but little about concrete solutions to deal with the problems. In a group of nearly 100 only 2 raised hands to the question: “How many are considering reducing the size of their catalog?” 2?
- Second, there is hyper-change in communication channels and buyer behavior. I attended NEMOA, a first rate collection of brilliant people not afraid to share ideas. If we heard social media, search marketing, blog and podcast once, we heard it beaucoup times during the 2 1/2 day conference. These new media channels that are happening now… , yet I had this hovering sense of those around me being overwhelmed and unclear of the next step to take. Essentially our industry needs courageous experimenters.
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE once said, “When the rate of change inside an organization is slower than the rate of change outside an organization, the end of that organization is in sight.” Substitute “industry” and “consumers” and I think you get the point. I will be speaking on the topic of “Reaping the Benefits of Social Media” at the upcoming ACCM in Orlando, FL, I hope to see you there … or share a comment here.
Insightful comments from a seasoned veteran of the direct marketing/catalog industry, who has himself been in the trenches. Good stuff!
I visit political and social blogs but this is the first one I’ve seen for the Catalog industry. Count me in!
Brilliant concept. Catalogers need a format of this type to exchange views and ideas. While there will always be a catalog more and more budget is being spent in Internet SEM, SEO Blogs and e-mails. The cost to mail is becomming more prohibitive. This could be a perfect platform for keeping all direct marketers in an exchange of ideas.
Tom Romano
Welcome to the catalog blogosphere!
With rising print, paper and postage costs, I’m surprised to hear that only 2 out of 100 are reported reducing their catalogs. We continue to trim our books in an effort to combat rising costs and weed out underforming merchandise.
Looking forward to ACCM session!