What does great catalog design cost?

The answer to that is: a whole lot less than bad design and copy will cost you in lost or missed sales. For catalogs with over 500K in circulation the cost of great catalog design and copy should easily pay for itself in the first cycle. We have seen increases in response from 7% to 28%. How much improvement a catalog will achieve depends on many factors and we’d be happy to take a look and give you an honest opinion. Give CDS’s President, Sarah Fletcher, a call (866) 849-4264 to get started.

When you’re thinking about hiring a creative team, here are some things to consider:

Are you mailing enough catalogs?

Success in cataloging is a numbers game. The more qualified prospects you mail to, the more revenue you’ll generate. Great catalog design and copy increases sales but, if you are only mailing a few thousand catalogs, the increase in sales generated by the improved design, say a 10% increase, may not pay for the increase in creative costs.

For example let’s say you have an existing 48 page catalog and you spend $25,000 on a redesign. If you mail 50,000 catalogs you will have to allocate $0.50/catalog for creative costs. If you are making a profit of $1.50/catalog and you increase the response by %10 you won’t make enough to cover the cost of the improved creative. To pay for that investment you would need to mail an additional 166,666 catalogs. BUT, if you are mailing 500K catalogs the increased profit from the improved design and copy would be $75,000 so you would make $50,000 right away. Great creative can be used for years, (think “Because you’re worth it”, “Just do it” or “I’m lovin’ it”), so if you can afford to invest in great creative, over time, it will help you grow faster and build a stronger brand.

Are you currently using an agency?

If you are not happy with your current agency and want to explore other options, or get a quote, give CDS’s President, Sarah Fletcher, a call (866) 849 4264 and she’d be happy to review your needs and see if CDS is a good fit for your company.

Do you have an in-house creative team?

Hiring outside creative for special projects and redesigns is a great way to kick things up a notch without increasing staff or disturbing your team’s current workflow. Depending on the skill level of your team, and your staffing situation, it may be a cheaper and better choice to outsource some or all of your creative services. You get a highly skilled creative team that’s on call but not on staff. This has payroll, management, training and tax benefits. We have many clients who use CDS as a virtual creative department. They can call for email design, displays, advertising and even trade show booths. Because we know the brand and have the images and materials on hand, the cost is often significantly less than keeping someone on staff.

If you want to keep your team, but think they could use some guidance, CDS can provide consulting and mentoring services for $150/hour. We can set a budget or CDS can provide quotes by the project or season. Give CDS’s President, Sarah Fletcher, a call (866) 849 4264 and she’d be happy to review your needs and see if CDS is a good fit for your company.

Is this your first catalog?

Congratulations and welcome to the fun, exciting and ever changing world of cataloging! Catalog Design Studios has the experience to get you started and help you develop a successful and rewarding catalog channel. Many companies who started online are discovering the rewards of prospecting via catalogs. There are no spam filters and fewer privacy issues. Catalogs are a great way to increase brand awareness, drive retail sales and get in front of qualified buyers. Launching a new catalog is a complex venture, give CDS’s President, Sarah Fletcher, a call (866) 849 4264 and she’d be happy to talk to you about how CDS can help you get started.

Working with a small budget?

Catalog lore is full of talented energetic individuals who started in their garage or spare room and built a strong, vibrant and profitable company. Getting started on a budget can be a challenge though. If you need to do more with less, check out the great resources at Catalog University. You’ll find classes in catalog design, catalog marketing, merchandising and more. Catalogers want other catalogers to succeed, because the best indicator that someone will buy from their catalog is if they have bought from any other catalog. At Catalog University you can sit in on free online Pub Talks or take classes in any college for just $24.95/month.