Catalogs & Yellow Pages SBM 338 Lanny Wilke

Catalog Production – 9 major areas Writing copy Design and layout Art and photography Typesetting New art and/or “film ready” computer disk Film preparation Printing and binding Distribution and mailing Back-end analysis

Writing Copy Function – give enough info to let the purchaser order. Order number Price Hard data Sizes Colors Materials

As space and policy allow: Descriptions Illustrations Sometimes, special inducements Show rather than tell Today’s audience – more oral and visual than literary Be succinct.

Read your own copy using the mindset of your most likely audience. Would YOU understand the message? Would YOU want to learn more about the product? Is there a practical way to give the info – in text or pictures – right in the catalog?

Now read your copy looking at your “catalog imperatives.” Do you have the correct… Stock numbers Prices Quantities Colors Sizes Materials Special offers Conditions of sale

Lastly, look at your copy as a whole Does your copy sell the uninformed reader? Does your copy confirm the partially committed reader? Does your copy make it easy and practical to order?

Art and Photography Conventional wisdom – photography is better than art. Some exceptions: Use art when impression is more important than reality. Use art where it’s better at showing necessary detail. Use art for dreams that have not yet been realized.

Typesetting & Desktop Publishing Typefaces Limit the number of typefaces used in the body to one or two. Sans serif (square) type is harder to read for most adults.

Yellow Pages Remember… You are not looking for customers. They are looking for someone to fill their needs. You are not likely to get a second chance. You either get a response, or you don’t. Whatever you decide, you will have to live with your decision for at least a year.

Yellow pages usage is driven by demand for products and services. Analyze the demand for your product, and create your copy accordingly. Match the Yellow Pages message to the reality of customers you are trying to attract.

The Decision-Making Process Identify the number of new customers you need. Look at Yellow Pages as an investment, not an expense. Calculate your ad’s ROI. Number of calls to make a sale Average gross profit per order Cost of ad being considered Percentage of profit expected from YP ad.

YP ads are positioned according to: Size (biggest first) If size is the same, then… When you originally bought that size ad under that heading determines your position.

Dominate somewhere Buy a big enough ad to dominate your heading.

Layout and Design In-Column Advertising You dominate through size and potentially through the use of color. Use larger and bolder type.

Display Advertising Majority of headings DO NOT contain display ads. You SHOULD NOT consider buying a small ad under those that relate to your field. Rather, dominate by a relatively large in-column ad under those headings.

When you see several or many display ads under a heading, there is a reason. The more and larger the ads, the more you need to consider advertising under that heading. Make the ad large enough to get the attention of a high % of users.

Ad Copy What you say in the ad will eventually determine how often you are selected. Must make users select and contact the advertiser.

Writing your YP Ad Differentiate among what you could say, what you don’t want to say, & what you definitely do want to say. Use headlines as bait.

When we meet again….