How to Design an Effective Product Catalogue for Summer 2022

Did you know that about 81% of consumers research new products before buying? Print catalogues provide your customers with the opportunity to see and read about products they’re interested in before committing. With direct mail services in the GTA, you can design and mail catalogues to put your brand on the local map. However, in 2022 with many companies vying for the same prospects, how do you make an impact?

At Troi Mailing Services, we serve business clients across Ontario, specializing in direct mail and printing services. We know a thing or two about what makes a great catalogue stand out. Here are some tips from our team on effective product catalogues for 2022.

Focus on Size and Utility

Direct mail services in the GTA need to reflect the interests of local consumers. You don’t want to send out a heavy catalogue that weighs down customer mail. You also want something compact enough to fit in mailboxes without needing to use the parcel boxes.

Focusing on the size and utility of your catalogue is a key design feature in 2022. Cumbersome catalogues like the old Sears wish books were fun to receive, but a big commitment to flip through. Creating catalogues that highlight your products and give your clients a reason to research your brand is what’s going to improve sales this year.

At maximum, 8.5 x 11” catalogues are a good size standard to stick with. Although some brands are going for easily digestible aesthetics with 8 x 8” or 6 x 9” catalogues. Square designs can stand out among the many rectangular stacks of coupons and advertising mail that Canadians receive each week.

Be Purposeful With Photos and Images

Another area where marketers are taking care in catalogue design is with photos and images. Designing a layout that not only speaks to customers but also draws the eye is tough in this age of social media and video streaming. How do you stand out with printed visuals? Simple: you use a printer that can create high-resolution photos for your catalogue without breaking the bank.

According to HubSpot, only 10% of the information is retained through print alone. When you add an impactful image to the mix, people retain 65% of the information up to 3 days after seeing it. This is a massive difference in the number of customers who will remember your brand, remember your product, and potentially buy. In other words, adding impactful imagery to your catalogue can increase your return on investment exponentially.

When you choose photos to represent your brand, ensure there is good lighting and that products are highlighted well. Unlike shopping in person, your catalogue is introducing a product in 2D alone. This doesn’t give shoppers the full range of that product, but it can make them curious to learn more, or even want to buy it in that instant.

Think About Colours and How They Connect to Your Brand

Colour is another area your brand should focus on when designing a catalogue. At Troi Mailing Services, our direct mail services in the GTA offer high-quality colour printing, thus ensuring your brand comes across exactly as you envision it.

Black and white catalogues are a thing of the past. And unless you’re trying to send some kind of artistic message, colour is almost always preferred. When you choose the colours to use in your catalogue, think about your brand, your logo, and themes within your company. Choose colours that speak to this. For example, fast food companies often use the colours in their signage and logos to remind the customer what they’re looking at in flyers and coupon promotions.

If your company logo is blue and white, increase the number of blue products, models in blue clothing, blue backgrounds, and blue font to get the message across that your brand is best.

Connect Your Catalogue to Your Website

Finally, modern companies using direct mail services in the GTA know that to be successful, there should be some form of an online link. In 2022, we will see more digital tools reflected in direct mail than in social media tags alone. Direct mail is making a comeback, and catalogues are a huge way to increase your visibility and brand loyalty. Still, nobody shops through catalogues anymore. The key is to include QR codes for each item, or one QR code on the front page of your catalogue so it can be accessed by smart phones as well.

Fewer Canadians are using the phone to order from catalogues. Instead, online shopping is taking priority. You can shop online 24/7. There’s no need to wait for shops to open or call centers to answer your question. Customers can base their shopping around their personal schedules. Your catalogue helps them see where to go to do this shopping.

Building a catalogue landing page to link your catalogue to e-commerce is a great way to track analytics and improve future catalogues. You can even use the same images, colours, and designs in your digital catalogue to bring the two together.

Why are catalogues making an impact?

Catalogues are a great way to spark interest in an e-commerce shop because they can be passed on to friends or colleagues, and left in visible spots on desks and countertops for others to see. A catalogue also won’t get lost in a consumer’s junk mail filter. Catalogues provide a tangible form of advertisement that customers can look back to when making decisions about daily shopping needs.

At Troi Mailing Services, we help businesses of all shapes and sizes from a breadth of industries across Canada to design and deliver direct mail services in the GTA. Our catalogue design and printing services draw on modern research and marketing tools to deliver a digital ad with all the relevance and tangibility of a paper ad.

Contact Troi Mailing Services Today

Interested in learning more about designing effective summer catalogues for 2022? Troi Mailing Services can help with the design process to ensure you meet all print and mail layout specifications. We can also recommend cost-effective finishings that will still make an impact on your customers. Call us at 1-866-486-9350 to speak to a member of the Troi Mailing Services team today or contact us online.