A few years ago, offering an online catalogue was proof of your modernity and commercial dynamism. In 2018, to be trendy, you once again have to offer customers the pleasure of turning printed pages. This turnaround can be explained by the versatility of the good old paper catalogue, which has never ceased to meet the needs of businesses.

Ease of use

Giving customers access to a printed catalogue means they can look at it at their leisure and share it. This ease of use, direct access to products and the freedom to consult them explain the high level of confidence it inspires in consumers all over the world, according to surveys conducted by the Australian Paper Catalogue Association. According to the association, 70% of buyers prefer paper catalogues and 10% consult online catalogues exclusively.

Sharing information

This trend is also followed in the Nordic countries, where 38% of consumers have already looked at a product in a paper catalogue before buying it online.

This flexibility of use, combined with the quality of the information and presentation, means that paper catalogues can help to establish a company’s reputation. It conveys its brand image and facilitates access to other information channels as part of a marketing approach.

The paper catalogue, the cornerstone of a multi-channel strategy

Printed catalogues are the essential vehicles for directing prospects to the company’s website. On this site, they can complete their information by discovering a more complete graphic presentation, by consulting the pages dedicated to social networks, or by contacting customer service directly.

The icing on the cake is that QR codes now point directly to the product’s online data sheet, and augmented reality content allows customers to handle the product as if they were holding it in their hands. Ikea was quick to seize on this function to enable its customers to visualise the furniture in their homes. The paper catalogue has become the centrepiece of a marketing mix strategy. It provides immediate access to digital information, whereas the reverse is impossible.

Seducing and extrapolating the company’s brand image

As part of a multi-channel sales policy, the unlimited presence of paper catalogues means that companies can work on their brand image and positioning by using appropriate page layouts that are directly linked to their digital graphic charter. Readers identify more easily with this world.

Once this close relationship has been created, the company can refine the profile of its customer base to obtain a better return on sales thanks to this targeting. Seduced by an interactive paper catalogue that allows them to quickly familiarise themselves with a product, customers can use the QR code and their smartphone to contact the shop that distributes it and buy it with a click. The process is a natural one, with transparency about the product and increased confidence at every stage.

Improving digital marketing with paper catalogues

Even though 18% of the French have stuck a “stop Pub” label on their letterbox and a third of them seem to be resistant to the printed catalogue, their loyalty remains. It remains the preferred comparison tool and is much more widely known than the online catalogue.

Far from being dead, the versatility of the paper catalogue means that it is now at the heart of every marketing strategy. The future of digital marketing is not being written without them, but thanks to them.


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