Reggie's Articles appearing in Other PublicationsConnect the Dots: Inspire Your Customers to Think Multichannel
October, 2006 BY REGGIE BRADY
All good catalog marketers know their customers’ lifetime value. And those who are savvy have a handle on their customers’ spending patterns by channel. In today’s multichannel environment, the winners are those who synchronize their online and offline efforts.
There are many studies that show that customers who interact with a cataloger in more than one channel spend dramatically more than a single-channel customer. JCPenney was one of the first to come to this realization. A study they conducted with Abacus on annual spending showed:
- Internet-only shoppers spent $151
- Catalog-only shoppers spent $201
- Retail-only shoppers spent $195
- Two-channel shoppers spent between $446 and $608
- Three-channel shoppers spent $887
With results like these, it’s obvious that anything you can do to encourage your customers and prospects to interact with you in more than one channel will allow you to reap significant benefits.
Here are five ideas on how to be effective at cross-channel marketing.
1. Synchronize your catalog and email communications.
This is easiest to accomplish with your house list. One effective tactic is to use email to pre-announce your catalog. Be sure to feature the cover of the catalog in your email. This provides a visual cue to recipients and may help your mailing to stand out in a cluttered mailbox.
The Sharper Image uses this technique. And, to make their email recipients feel special, it tells readers that they’re getting a “sneak preview” and often include a special time-sensitive offer.
Or, time your email so it reaches the recipient after the catalog has been delivered. This helps to extend the life of the catalog and should generate more sales.
Brooks Brothers does a good job at this. When the catalog is delivered early in the week, the regular email for the week features the catalog cover. And, even better, their home page also features the catalog cover. That’s smart! In its next weekly email, it feature items from the first inside spread or the back cover in the email and also online.
2. Promote website features in your emails.
This starts with your email design. A good template mirrors prominent product categories from your site, includes a search capability and your toll-free number.
 The first thing you see in a Lands’ End email is a search box right next to their logo highlighting the ability to search by keyword or item number. Directly under that is a horizontal listing of their major departments. This makes it easy for the recipient to link to an area of interest and extends the effectiveness of the their email, since it becomes a mini-portal to the website. In their footer they promote their free catalogs and provide a sign up link.
To encourage channel migration, emphasize any Web site features that enhance customers’ online shopping experience via email. Bellacor, the lighting and home furnishings company, has an elegant email design that closely parallels the site. In its email header Bellacor lists all of its product areas, features its toll-free number, and includes a “search box.” The company doesn’t stop there, as it also features the shopping cart, a wish list, and their personal shopper facility.
JCPenney includes a link to its gift finder and gift registry in its email header as well as a link to that day’s store ad, which helps support its newspaper inserts. For those with the JCPenney credit card, the email also includes information on how cardholders can view their accounts, pay their bills or manage their accounts online.
3. Use your catalog to promote your online presence.
You can also leverage your Web site features and functionality in your catalog. Promote your email program and highlight special online capabilities that will amaze and delight your readers. Allow site visitors to browse the latest catalog online. If you have live chat with customer service online, make sure recipients know about this. Day-timers Inc. has a great order system that integrates all online and offline activity. A customer can make an online purchase and then call customer service or instigate live chat immediately to add another item.
4. Get email addresses for your offline customers.  Chances are there are a significant number of offline buyers for whom you have no e-mail address. It would be great if you could contact them via e-mail and encourage them to become online customers. Test e-mail appending, flag your customer service workstation so your rep asks for an e-mail address when customers call to order, and include a request for an e-mail address on every order form or promotional entry.
Once you obtain a customer’s e-mail address, put in place a channel migration strategy. Quill Corp., the office supplies cataloger, uses this as one of its core strategies. It emphasizes the ease and convenience of ordering online in its e-mail program. And it’s certainly worth it to Quill, since a multichannel customer purchases seven times more than a single-channel customer.
5. Periodically reward your email customers.
 Provide occasional offers to your email list that are not available in your catalog or on your Web site.
The Wine Enthusiast does this well. For example, here’s a subject line from one of their emails: “Private Sale … exclusively for our email Enthusiasts.” The email went on to explain that readers could get between 10 to 15 percent off their orders. They are treating their email customers “special.”
There you have it! Use these ideas to inspire various ways to approach multichannel marketing. The next steps are to put plans in place and start to inspire your customers. There are great rewards waiting for you!
Regina Brady is president of Reggie Brady Marketing Solutions, a direct and e-mail marketing consultancy in Norwalk, Conn. Contact: (203) 838-8138 or reginabrady@att.net.
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