tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post2442661815332477881..comments2023-10-18T08:32:17.510-07:00Comments on Kevin Hillstrom: MineThatData: Multichannel Forensics And Postage IncreasesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post-74487937913480936322007-03-09T07:59:00.000-08:002007-03-09T07:59:00.000-08:00We can agree to disagree on the topic of banding t...We can agree to disagree on the topic of banding together. Those who sell via paper need to cooperate to help save their industry.<BR/><BR/>Regarding your five points --- those can be answered by testing. The cataloger can test the ideas, and implement the ones that work.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the feedback!MineThatDatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014200122021988374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post-62160916725763281002007-03-08T10:36:00.000-08:002007-03-08T10:36:00.000-08:00Kevin,Great point about reducing pages--I forgot t...Kevin,<BR/>Great point about reducing pages--I forgot to add that. Actually reducing pages and including only the best items will drive customers to the website where they will see other offerings. Trick is how to entice web visitor to view the other pages. <BR/>Regarding the part you ended with, "band together not compete", I tend to disagree. Competition leads to innovation. To relate to main topic, instead of cursing USPS raising costs(or the rising gas prices), how do you make catalog matter in order to compete?<BR/>1. Reduce pages as you pointed out--but---<BR/>2. Make catalogs more eye-catching or package it with something for preferred customers, like an inexpensive usb thumb drive with the full catalog, etc. Different, innovative. <BR/>3. Personalize catalogs much like a webpage is personalized. Balance must be key--too much personalization and you miss out on the consumer's impulse to go outside that box we painted them in, either purchasing for themselves or for a relative/friend. <BR/>4. Increase use of promotion codes.<BR/>5. Recoup money on lower prices/promotions by offering extra services(personalized labeling on item, etc). <BR/><BR/>Your thoughts?<BR/><BR/>KAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post-84521267917431498212007-03-07T20:44:00.000-08:002007-03-07T20:44:00.000-08:00This is just my opinion. Leaders can be spiteful....This is just my opinion. Leaders can be spiteful. If the marketing budget is fixed, the spiteful leader will make the USPS pay, by either reducing pages, or by reducing circulation.<BR/><BR/>I've always been a proponent of reducing pages first, reducing circulation last. To me, the extra contact to a customer is more important than the 148th page of similar merchandise.<BR/><BR/>Personally, I don't think businesses will pass along price increases to customers. I believe we will trim circulation and pages. There is too much competition right now (always) to raise prices, unless you are in the upper tier of your market, marketing to an exceptionally affluent customer.<BR/><BR/>We are all stuck in a paradox right now, be it magazines, newspapers, or catalogers. In some ways (see Don Libey's article in DMNews online), those of us in newspaper, magazines, catalog, have to band TOGETHER, and not COMPETE, in order to survive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post-91855612414493775612007-03-07T20:10:00.000-08:002007-03-07T20:10:00.000-08:00Kevin,Do you believe that these companies will aut...Kevin,<BR/>Do you believe that these companies will automatically cut the number of catalogs they mail due to the cost increase, or instead will they cut costs elsewhere(or raise prices) in order to meet the postal increases and still mail same number?<BR/>In fact which is worse effect on business--item price increase or decrease in mailings?<BR/>I would think gas prices have more of an effect on catalog(or online) business as it effects the costs of shipping which is the disadvantage for a consumer used to buying from a brick and mortar store. In fact fuel costs are a factor in USPS raising the prices.<BR/>In another vein, doesn't the inevitable rise in cost of mailings lead to the same paradox that newspapers are feeling? Google and yahoo have to make a deal with the dying newspaper industry because without quality newspaper journalism, yahoo and google have no news on their sites. <BR/>KAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com