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In the last two decades, marketing has focused primarily on the digital world rather than physical print, but that doesn’t mean print marketing is obsolete. In fact, catalogs are essential for marketing, and studies indicate that they're more effective than many other forms of advertising. Now more than ever, catalogs are effective because of technological innovations that enable companies to target customers based on their interests and buying habits. Here are some of the reasons why you need to begin implementing or bolster your current catalog marketing.

Print is not dead! In a world where the flood of ephemeral online ads is quickly seen and forgotten just as fast, the humble printed catalog or flyer can have a long-lasting effect on the consumer. This is not just a matter of personal preference. A report in Scientific American recently concluded that “reading on paper still boasts unique advantages” over screens.

Retail chains continue to rely on printed and digital brochures when it comes to distributing their advertising budget, as these are still one of the most valuable and reliable ways to reach consumers.

Adobe InDesign is undoubtedly the luxury SUV among layout programmes. First released over twenty-three years ago, Adobe's "Project K2" replaced PageMaker and eventually displaced the then reigning champion QuarkXPress. Today, Adobe InDesign can do practically everything a designer's heart desires, and thus much more than just design print pages.

These database systems are nothing new in Retail Marketing. DAM has been around for thirty years. However, early systems were complicated and were usually stored on local network servers. Present-day, most DAM systems reside in the cloud or are heading there but pose no fewer challenges for the creative directors.

When it comes to grocery shopping, customers increasingly expect an experience that allows them to shop how they want, when they want. To keep up with the competition and meet customer demands, retailers must provide an online shopping option that is easy to use and integrates well with their in-store offerings. Businesses can improve customer loyalty and drive sales growth by delivering on this multichannel promise.

Alongside many retailer tech-first approaches over the years, putting ad spend toward something more analog: the print catalog, sent alongside a slew of other direct-mail products, offers an incredible opportunity to deliver rich, tactile shopping experience targeting prospects as well as existing customers.

The holiday season is a time for marketing agency owners to take stock and plan for the future. As this whirlwind of a year begins to wind down, agencies can expect a surge of new 2022 campaign initiatives. Unfortunately, that means dealing with one item that is always in short supply: enough time to get things done!

A small business can usually get by with a simple database or two. For example, tracking the details of a hundred or even a few thousand individual products is possible with a basic Product Information System or PIM. Similarly, the images and descriptions of a small number of products can usually be sorted and stored in a straightforward Digital Asset Management or DAM system.