PPB December 2020

“What I do appreciate is when suppliers sendme quarterly specials or fliers in hardcopy that I can forward tomy clients along with a quarterly self- promo.” She emphasizes that quarterly flyers that showcase sale items are her preference with one exception: apparel. “The catalogs I keep on hand are predominantly apparel, trade-show booth items and signage, and those that contain swatches and paper samples. I think that makes apparel shopping less overwhelming for a buyer than trying tomaneuver through a digital platform when they’re not sure what they want.” She also prints a limited number of branded SAGE generic catalogs to include in new customer or prospect packages to showcase her broad scope of products. Distributors say that print catalogs have the advantage of being easier to browse for ideas and find pricing and production details. “They are much easier to see all those pesky details that can cost you a fortune if missed, such as PMS, production time, art requirements, etc.,” says Jani Jason with Associated Premium Corporation in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Until suppliers get much better about including all info on all items or at the very least where it is all more easily found, I need a paper catalog.” She’s also fine with receiving unsolicited catalogs. “Sometimes, we get in a rut with our ‘go-to’ suppliers andmiss new and different ideas.” Kelly Nussbaum, account manager at distributor Viking Trophies in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, likes receiving print catalogs fromher key suppliers because they help her brainstorm ideas when she has an open-ended project, and she also likes taking a break fromher computer screen. However, she rarely shares those catalogs with clients. To improve that possibility, she suggests suppliers rethink product categories, noting that the “old standbys” of leisure and personal care may no longer be applicable. “It can be difficult to figure out where to find items; a lot of the newer pieces don’t fit the old categories. For example: would a straw be in kitchen, personal care or eco-conscious? Often, I am looking for a type of product, such as eco-friendly, under $2, etc.” For online catalogs, she recommends an unbranded, end-user- friendly piece. That suggestion is underscored by Denise Bromberger, MAS, owner of ImageMarketing Specialists in Bailey, Colorado. “Suppliers should have an end-user- safe version of their flip/ online catalog,” she says. “I put themdirectly onto my website. The URL should not reference the supplier name and the catalog should have no contact information or reference to the supplier’s line or name.” Robert Nolan, MAS, director of awesome ideas and solutions at Wall 2Wall Promotions in Hollywood, Florida, prefers print catalogs over online because they are better at jump-starting ideas. “After 15 years of keeping catalogs organized, I can go right to an idea or item that I was A DISTRIBUTOR SPEAKS OUT: Best Practices For Online And Print Catalogs Isa Cocallas, owner of distributor 3Koi in Kihei, Hawaii, shares these suggestions for suppliers looking to improve their online catalogs to create more relevance with distributors. General Appearance And Functionality When electronic catalogs first debuted, many suppliers just took their print version and made it electronic. As we evolve, we should use more of the features that make electronic more powerful and use fewer of those features that just get in the way. • Flip: While flip catalogs are nifty, I personally find the whole animated page-turning a waste of time. We don’t need to see and hear the page turn and it loses any novelty fast. Yes, click to go to next or previous page, but skip the animation. • Jump: Being able to jump to a page, section or link is vital. Link your Table of Contents (beginning) and Index (end) to the section or page. Put in a Jump To mechanism that allows me to go to any page number (because that might be referenced elsewhere) or to any general information section. • Copy/Paste: We love to take your information to put into our emails and presentations so consider how you word the product descriptions. • Links: I can’t emphasize it enough—link to other related information that’s either in the catalog or to the supplier site. Also, offer a version without external links (client-safe). Yes, the links take 1 Suppliers should have an end-user- safe version of their flip/online catalog. I put them directly onto my website. The URL should not reference the supplier name and the catalog should have no contact information or reference to the supplier’s line or name.” -Denise Bromberger, MAS “ serazetdinov / AntartStock / Shutterstock.com. Catalogs | FEATURE | DECEMBER 2020 | 21