The Phoenix Zoo

Another Question:  We plan our entire marketing calendar around the catalog. What do you expect us to do on October 28 when we don't have a catalog in-home that day, or for any day for the rest of the year?

Catalog brands sometimes had weaker-than-average marketers, because historically the catalog "was" the marketing vehicle, with the misguided omnichannel thesis requiring that all other marketing channels support catalog in-home events. The catalog in-home was "the" event. Without a catalog ... you'll need to create reasons for customers to spend money with you. 

You need to create something out of nothing.

How many of you have visited a zoo at night? It's not like you get to spend time looking at a giraffe at 8:35pm ... that's a daylight event. And yet, the zoo is sitting there ... available ... after dark. It "could" be utilized in some way.

The Phoenix Zoo is famous for their ZooLights Program ... especially at Christmas (click here). I realize you don't think a 50 degree evening in December is cold, but in the desert after you've acclimated to 115 degree temperatures, 50 degree evenings in December are VERY cold. And yet, the locals flock to the Zoo, at night, in the cold, to look at the lights.

It's not only at Christmas, by the way. They schedule events in late October as well, like earlier this week.

In my case, it was a group of six of us who went to see the butterfly display, then we spent $$$ on dinner at the restaurant at the Zoo (named Gertrude's, where hundreds were dining, most outside on an 88 degree evening in late October), followed by walking the grounds looking at the light display, called "Light Bloom".

I mean, there's no reason to visit a Zoo at night ... and yet, somehow, the Phoenix Zoo was teeming with people who spent money to be there on a perfect October evening.

They have plenty of events (click here).

They are hustling.

You, too, will be hustling when the catalog no longer exists.

Can you imagine the fun you're going to have creating events from scratch?

P.S.:  This applies to you in the e-commerce world as well. Instead of "60% OFF TODAY ONLY" followed by "60% OFF TODAY ONLY" again next Friday, why not create real events that customers want to be part of?

P.P.S.:  Another question from a reader ... "Is there an industry that does events well?"  I'd volunteer the wine industry. They create events and on-site tastings and video-tastings, the build excitement for their 2021 Pinot Noir release, they have wine clubs (i.e. subscriptions) where they get you to spend $600 a pop, they're quite good at what they do as an industry. Look at what wineries do for events, ok?