Cutting Through Catalog ClutterIt's that time of year again . . . yes, back to school. But more importantly, the fall and holiday power shopping season. Magazines are thick with glossy advertisements of the latest fashions, newspapers run ads for sales galore, and my mailbox is chock full of catalogs - some from companies I have never even heard of before. I must be on some "shopping maven" mailing list.
But I don't have time to look through 20+ catalogs a day, for heaven's sake! So, I usually look at the cover, flip through the catalog in 1 minute or less, and decide to chuck it or keep it. I found myself spending more than 1 minute on the latest Room & Board catalog though. It really caught my attention and made it not only to the "keep" pile, but right to the top of the heap of "keep."
This fall's Room & Board catalog is called "Welcome Home" and features real stories from 3 real people/families who have used Room & Board products to stylize their homes. These are real Room & Board customers, not actors playing parts. Each family's home is featured with the Room & Board products they actually bought, identified in the copy - so customers can say "I want that look in my home," and know exactly which products to buy to get the look. Each family has a different story based a different lifestage - the Parkers are empty nesters who were leaving their home of 40 years for a minimalist hilltop house with views of San Francisco, Lanie Pilnick moved into a 500 square foot apartment in Manhattan, and the Bruess family lives in a period home in one of St. Paul Minnesota's historic neighborhoods. So, customers can pick which "story" they relate to and get ideas and inspiration for their own home. Each family is pictured in natural relaxed settings, as if the photographer just walked in and started snapping away. Most home decor catalogs just show the products in showcased, uncluttered, luxurious, and unrealistic settings - with no people, and certainly no pets or newspapers or homework or any other detritus of everyday life out and about.
The Room & Board catalog tapped into several of my Marketing to Women principles - that's what makes it so appealing to my senses and such a smart way to stand out from the competition:
- Real not Ideal - Women look for "that's me" moments, that flash of recognition between her and the real people, real situations, real product usage, and real reactions that tell her you, as a marketer, get who she really is.
- People Power - Women think that people are the most interesting element in ANY situation. It pays to focus on the prospect and not the product.
- Storytelling - Stories, testimonials, and anecdotes are female social currency. These are how women connect to each other and how smart marketers connect to women.
The copy on the inside cover explains Room & Board's insight and strategy . . . and I love it!
"Home is everything. It's the place we kick back in a favorite chair after work or snuggle in a king-sized bed with the kids. It's a place to collect the things we love most in life - family, friends, stuff - and where we find peace and quiet from a busy world.
In these pages, that's the home we'll share with you. Our customers (people just like you) opened their doors to us, let us peek into their lives through interviews and photographs and have graciously allowed us to invite you in, too.
The stories show real people using our furniture to create homes that are not showplaces, but are something even better - homes that reflect the many-faceted and rich lives of the people who live inside.
Enjoy this look into the homes of some memorable people. We hope they inspire you as much as you inspire us every day."
And on the back cover, they ask readers to share their own stories and photos on their site. I can't wait to go there for more inspiration and ideas.
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