Catalog Marketers and Retailers: The iPad
If you are a catalog marketer, you absolutely have to be going bonkers over the roll-out of the iPad, right?
I mean, has there ever been a digital device that was more tailor-made for a digital catalog? You're flipping through pages with your index finger on a device that goes wherever you go, and the catalog pages on this digital device (you subscribe to your digital catalog via RSS so it automatically arrives on a weekly/monthly basis) link to landing pages on your website ... or better yet, you simply execute one-click shopping from the device without ever visiting the website.
You've been craving multi-channel solutions for ages ... this is the ultimate multi-channel solution.
And if you are a retailer, why would you not have an iPad in every store, so that your employees can assist the customer when he wants size XXL and it is not available? I'm just saying ....
The iPad and a myriad of soon-to-be-released competing devices are your new mobile mailbox. Why wouldn't you be first to capitalize on this opportunity?
Thoughts?
posted by Kevin @ 8:20 PM
4 Comments:
While I love the concept, my first reaction would be to compare the demographic of the typical catalog customer to that of the typical iPad owner. Catalog customers tend to be the older generation while the iPad owner is much younger. Would delivering my catalog to an iPad owners email inbox be enough to get them to shop? Is the paper concept of the catalog the only thing that is keeping the younger generation from shopping them?
I tend to agree with the thought process of Thomas Baekdal (http://www.baekdal.com/) when it comes to the change from print to online. Too many companies (newspapers, magazines, catalogs, etc) are trying to recreate their printed piece online when users just want the content. Think about it this way, is translating your current catalog layout to the iPad the BEST way to deliver your product line (content) to customers?
I'm glad we are all starting to think electronically, but my belief is we need to step outside our catalog boxes... again.
To me, the issue isn't about delivering your catalog to your 62 year old customer via an iPad, the issue is engaging a 36 year old customer in a vehicle that the 36 year old customer enjoys. Let the 62 year old shop via old-school catalogs, and find ways to be relevant to the 36 year old customer.
Unfortunately the ipad does not support flash!
Find a solution, marketers. Find a solution!
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