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USPS Droop Regulations Now Being Enforced

Posted on October 05, 2010

It’s Here!

The Deflection/Droop Requirement went into effect October 3, 2010 for all FLATS! Failing to comply with the Deflection specifications can potentially double or triple  your postage costs. 

If you have questions about how to reduce your catalog’s droop, please contact us today at 800-558-8724.

Baby it’s HOT outside or What is the Shelf Life of an email?

Posted on September 03, 2010

Gary Sierzchulsk, VP, Arandell Marketing Solutions

Think about that statement and question…

First off this is the hottest summer in quite some time and I don’t have a pool. I have friends who do but they suddenly are not answering their phone. Anyway, back to the point….

How long do you look at an email headline in your mailbox (those that don’t get caught in spam filters)?

Of those, how many do you open?

Of those, how many do you take a closer look at?

We’re talking literally seconds for your message to be “blinked” at. Notice the word read was not in that sentence. Is that the way you want to do business? Add to that the hundreds of messages you receive each day – that’s tough competition. So surfing through your emails becomes routine and numbing. Emails are impulsive.

Now the catalog….

Do you recall how many catalogs you received yesterday?

Of those, how many did you look at?

Of those, how many did you open?

Of those, how many did you read?

With less clutter in the mailbox you have a very good chance that your message will get read. The competition for the eyes is a little easier.

We recently did a survey with our catalogers and asked them what the oldest catalog was that a current customer used to place an order. The winner went to an outdoor furniture company who said a customer called in an order with a catalog that was a little over two years old. The customer saved the catalog because they were planning to do some landscaping, liked the design and products displayed in the catalog and used it as a template for their yard, but didn’t get around to doing the landscaping for a while. Can an email have that kind of shelf life? Think about that the next time you’re doing your daily mass delete of emails.

I, for one, keep my catalogs and really do spend time paging through them, especially on hot evenings with a nice cold cocktail at my side. Obviously I have a vested interest (or interests) in them but with today’s technology the quality, design, content and message they convey are stronger than ever. Catalogs embrace.

Catalogs, emails, texts, mobile and retail and who knows what’s next can all get along with each other, and need to get along. None of them, however, can be ignored. They need to be coordinated to reach the right audience at the proper time with the proper message.

Remember people surf the Internet. But catalogs offer a unique experience, tell a story and can immerse you, kind of like going for a swim. So people will not give up surfing, nor will they not giving up swimming. Now to find a pool……..

It’s all about options.

Bring your Catalog to Life with an Electronic Version

Posted on August 11, 2010

 

You have already worked hard to create a beautifully-printed catalog and you already have a web site, right? So why not leverage the two channels together to promote your brand to a broader audience, resulting in an increased ROI for your catalog? Our digital catalog software gives you the ability to easily turn a printed catalog into an electronic version, offering myriad advantages. Not only does a digital catalog enhance your brand and make it consistent across channels, but this solution can also be:

  • Seamlessly integrated into your Web site;
  • Delivered to customers via a link, creating additional opportunities for email marketing and prospecting;
  • Employed at retail locations as a guide for customers;
  • Tied into your online, social media and mobile marketing programs;
  • Uploaded instantly, so that your customers are always viewing your most up-to-date catalog with current images and prices;
  • Sent to your call centers before the catalog drops so that representatives are fully prepared for catalog orders to come;
  • Created quickly and affordably;
  • Accessed 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

We offer this cost-effective solution to all of our customers, saving you the time and expense of having to search for an outside provider. Creating a digital version of your catalog to display on your Web site gives you the opportunity to increase the return on the piece that you have already worked so hard to produce.

To view an example of a digital catalog, visit http://www.customer-connect.net/ or click here.

Questions?
For additional information about Arandell’s electronic catalog solution, feel free to contact me any time!

3rd Annual ACMA National Catalog Forum

Posted on April 21, 2010

Don Landis, VP, Postal and Government AffairsThe American Catalog Mailers Association (ACMA) held its third National Catalog Forum April 13-15 in Nashville, TN. From a personal standpoint, I thought it was one of the best forums of this kind I have attended in a long time. I should know; I have been in the mailing industry 44 years and have attended more events than I can count.  Looking around the room I saw some of the most influential catalogers in the industry. 

The forum started off with Mark Acton, Commissioner, U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission. Mark covered a list of postal issues that may impact catalogers. I was impressed with the quality and thoughtfulness of the questions asked by attendees. Pat Donahoe, Deputy Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service, discussed several topics, the one of the highest level of interest being the Flats Sequencing System (FSS) and how it will affect future postal ECR rates.

Other topics covered include co-mailing, Do Not Mail, prospecting, USPS catalog marketing efforts and growth in catalog mail volume.

The ACMA is THE advocate for catalogers. Its annual forum is packed full of valuable information that will impact all of you. In the future, I highly encourage all catalogers to attend the forum, so that we as mailers have a bigger voice in Washington.

For more information, please feel free to contact Don Landis, HDLandis@arandell.com.  He can also both be reached at 800.558.8724.

Arandell Announces Mobile Solutions, Powered by Digby

Posted on April 15, 2010

Jim Treis, EVP, Sales & MarketingMenomonee Falls, WI, Austin, Texas, April 15, 2010 – Arandell Corp., North America’s premier and most robust offset printing company, today announced a partnership with Digby, the leading provider of mobile commerce solutions for retailers, to power Arandell Mobile Solutions, providing retailers with mobile optimized extensions for their print catalogs. Additionally, Arandell and Digby have entered into an ongoing Strategic Marketing Agreement to develop innovative and cutting edge cross-channel marketing practices that fully leverage the complementary strengths of catalog, mobile and in-store channels.

 “Through our internal response analysis we conduct for our clients, catalogers who integrate a mobile solution into their overall marketing mix see a significantly higher customer response to their marketing messages, produce a higher customer average order and achieve higher customer retention” said Jim Treis, EVP Sales and Marketing at Arandell. “We chose to partner with Digby because of their expertise and experience in our market, coupled with the fact that their solution works seamlessly across multiple phone platforms. This combination makes Digby unique in the market. They were the natural choice to power for Arandell’s Mobile Solutions offering.”

Consumers are increasingly looking to their mobile devices to research products they are interested in. Making it easy and efficient for mobile users to find product specifications, access social content such as product ratings & reviews, share products with friends through integration with Facebook, and even access product availability in retailer’s stores, all of which are components of a comprehensive multi-channel strategy. Arandell and Digby have developed best practices and standards for catalog retailers that enable consumers to use their mobile device as part of the shopping experience. Mobile integration points include mobile friendly urls and bar codes that provide consumers with real time access to  relevant information for their purchase decision.

“Forward thinking retailers are treating mobility as a strategic opportunity and delivering an immersive mobile experience.” said Dave Sikora, CEO of Digby. “Our relationship with Arandell will allow us to deliver a compelling mobile experience that complements their direct mail and catalog initiatives.”

According to a recent survey by Ruder Finn1, an independent public relations agency, 34% of mobile users use their devices to find background information on products or read product reviews. 

1 Ruder Finn Mobile Intent Index (http://intentindex.com/mobile)

About Arandell Corporation
Founded in 1922 and based in Menomonee Falls, WI, Arandell Corporation provides high-quality printing, mailing, distribution, list management, database marketing strategies, education, logistics and consulting services to America’s premier custom publishers, catalogers and retailers. Arandell is on the cutting edge of ecologically-preferred methods for conserving resources and protecting the environment with their production practices.
About Digby
Digby is the leading software as a service provider of mobile commerce solutions for top retailers. The award winning Digby Mobile Commerce Suite delivers an optimized shopping experience with both web and application based mobile storefronts that include easy search, browse and purchase capabilities, personal information integration, secure wallet and location based service functionality. Led by software industry veterans, the privately held company is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For additional information, please visit www.digby.com.
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