Catalogs Seek Multichannel Expertise
DoubleClick, New York, announced yesterday that 22 catalogs have signed up this year for a Web-based service that tracks purchases made through call centers, Web sites and retail outlets.ChannelView assesses the cross-channel effect of catalog and other direct mail campaigns by matching a promotion to a customer and channel. Catalogs signing up since January include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Linen Source, Pendleton, Thompson Cigar and Anthropologie Direct.
Orders being allocated to an incorrect source is a problem that multichannel marketers face regularly, said Sandy Sheppard, director of catalog marketing at Design Within Reach, a ChannelView customer.
"By correctly allocating call center, Web and retail orders to catalog promotions, we have more confidence making list decisions and rolling out to tests," Sheppard said.
One reason multichannel marketing is a growing focus of catalog companies is its perceived ability to increase customer acquisition and retention by reinforcing a brand's message, Jeff Moriarty, MeritDirect's vice president of list management, said during the recent MeritDirect Business Mailers Co-op and E-Mail Marketing Conference. Those who coordinate this approach see response rates as much as five times higher than with a single-channel strategy, he said.
