PMP Launch Catalogues4u
11 March 2009
PMP launches new online catalogue service - catalogues4u.com.au - offering greater bang for marketing buck.
· Cost-effective way to extend marketing reach in difficult times
· User-friendly format to ensure high consumer uptake
· Low-cost structure attractive to retailers, SMEs
Sydney, Tuesday, 10 March 2009 – As the impact of the global credit crunch bites, retailers and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) now have access to a new online catalogue service – catalogues4u.com.au – designed to extend their marketing reach at minimal cost.
Launched today by Australia’s largest print and distribution company, PMP Limited, catalogues4u.com.au allows retailers and other businesses to display their catalogues and brochures in a user-friendly online environment, to be viewed by potential consumers visiting the site.
PMP Acting CEO, Richard Allely, said catalogues4u.com.au demonstrated PMP’s commitment to providing customers with innovative solutions to meet their changing needs.
“This is a service developed in response to feedback from retailers, with their specific requirements in mind. We expect catalogues4u.com.au to very quickly emerge as one of Australia’s most popular platforms for online catalogue marketing,” Mr Allely said.
For consumers, catalogues4u.com.au offers an online browsing experience customised to their own preferences and interests, with the ability to search rapidly through multiple catalogues and brochures by product category or retail brand.
Managing Director of PMP Direct Marketing, Derek Taylor, said catalogues4u.com.au delivered retailers new ‘touchpoints’ with consumers, and extended their reach into areas not covered by traditional letterbox delivery.
“Research shows that up to 88% of Australians now compare goods and services online prior to purchase. Retailers have been telling us they want smarter, more cost-effective ways to connect with these shoppers, and catalogues4u.com.au meets this requirement,” he said.
Already more than 40 companies have registered their catalogues or brochures to appear on the site within the first few weeks of operation, including some of Australia’s largest retail operators in Fantastic Furniture, Supercheap Auto, Best and Less, Porters Liquor, Lowes, Camping World, Betts, Beaurepaires, Goodyear Auto Centre, Greater Union Cinemas, and many more.
“The service is a powerful conduit for retailers and consumers to connect with each other 24/7,” Mr Taylor said.
”We have been careful to make the catalogues4u.com.au shopping experience as convenient and engaging as possible. Our customised search engine allows shoppers to make precise and rapid searches, down to individual products, brands and geographical areas, so they have every reason to consider catalogues4u.com.au as their first port of call in tracking offers or sale items.
“For retailers, particularly SMEs, the low cost structure of catalogues4u.com.au makes it a compelling addition to traditional letterbox campaigns, especially in the current environment when bang for marketing buck is so important,” he said.
Participating retailers have access to advanced campaign measures and analytics, including click-through rates, and data on which catalogue and brochure pages consumers are viewing, for how long and from which location. Retailers will be readily able to tap potential new markets, and improve store traffic based on new leads and inquiries.
From a consumer standpoint, a distinguishing feature of catalogues4u.com.au is its user-friendly page-flip interface, ensuring the online catalogue browsing experience closely resembles that of a print catalogue. In browsing catalogues and brochures, shoppers will be able to:
· Easily search for products or brands of most interest
· Zoom, print and share items of interest
· Click through to store locations
· Participate in regular online promotions
· Request regular email updates of offers matching their areas of interest.
Mr Taylor said the four-week pre-launch period, during which a beta version of the site was presented to retail customers, was a valuable opportunity for PMP to refine the service to better meet the needs of retailers.
“We received a wide range of feedback from customers on ways we could improve the functionality, look and feel, and even the name of the concept platform. We took this feedback on board for the launch and expect to make additional improvements over the next few months to ensure the service is tailored even more closely to customers’ needs, and that we are adding maximum value to clients’ marketing campaigns,” Mr Taylor said.
He said the service name - www.catalogues4u.com.au - had been identified as part of this process, as it reflected the nature of the new platform, supported a more distinctive brand presence and was more relevant to shoppers.