The Changing Face of Print Catalogs

The digital transformation is impacting the way corporations operate, from reducing carbon footprint to making more money by saving money.

Catalogs, including product based publications and even company-published industry magazines, still have tremendous value to the multi-channel marketer. But you need to accelerate and streamline their production to keep them accurate, up-to-date, and in sync with your digital marketing materials and channels.

Interactive Catalogs: Wave of the Future?

By leveraging simple, intuitive, cloud-based publishing technology, more and more companies are opting to produce low-cost, engaging digital brochures and marketing materials enhanced with audio, video and other rich content. These digital creations are free and easy to circulate anywhere around the globe, so ROI is quickly achieved simply in reducing print and distribution costs.

Imagine the benefits of being able to deliver the most up-to-date, relevant materials directly to the web, tablet or mobile devices – rather than going through the process of lengthy and costly reprints or additions of loose pages.

Like their print relative, digital catalogs feature rich, interactive browsing experiences and showcase a wide range of products. Via quick, easy navigation features, customers can click on a product to learn more, or instantly be taken to a retailer’s website without leaving the catalog. They can buy directly out of the online catalog, save products for the future, or even share favorites via social media.

On top of customer facing publishing, digital publications can help streamline business to employee communications. From company newsletters and magazines to HR documentation and corporate training courses, this digital publishing solution can easily and efficiently help distribute internal communications company-wide. Encryption technology from server to device can cater for sensitive material.

Can Print and Digital Occupy the Same Space?

Digital publications are massively disrupting the world of print not because they are digital but because consumers are spending more time online than they are consuming print. This seems an irreversible trend as digital growth continues to rise while print is still likely to plateau over a 5-year timescale. Digital is still in its infancy and will get a lot smarter, engaging consumers both better and more appropriately. It may suffer setbacks as legislators rein back the rampant use of private data, but it will evolve to occupy a large chunk of territory that was once the preserve of print. The risk for publishers a few years ago was adopting the wrong technology too early but today it is about timid adoption too late.

Retailers who offer a choice — including both access to a printed catalog and an easy-to-use, interactive digital catalog, will prove that regardless of how their business functions, they are prepared to accommodate today’s customers’ needs both now and in the future.

Are you prepared for the future? Let’s chat!