Branding Abroad: Spain (jschmid.com)

There’s a lot to look forward to in 2021. With wide-spread vaccination on the horizon, relative relief from the global pandemic is close at hand. But even with a new layer of safety added to the retail shopping experience, one factor remains irrevocably changed — the consumer. The numbers back this. More than 65% of consumers intend to continue new buying behaviors acquired due to the pandemic during the post-vaccine era, according to one recent study. Another survey reveals that 56% of consumers plan to use BOPIS (buy-online-pickup-in-store) after the pandemic ends. While retailers ready themselves to meet the post-pandemic consumer online and in-store, one thing is clear. Retail success in the post-pandemic era isn’t so much about where you serve your customers as it is about how you create authentic, personalized omnichannel experiences that transcend the limits of your digital and physical touchpoints and create lasting brand loyalty.

You’ve probably seen Hydro Flask everywhere, on college campuses, hiking trails, and even around the campfire or climbing a mountain face. They’ve become a household name, which is impressive in a crowded competitive landscape with big-name brands and budget knock-offs. Hydro Flask, a digital-native brand, was ready to capitalize on its market position and expand into the catalog realm. They wanted to impact the holiday season and show people they’re more than just water bottles. They wanted something that could build on the success of their digital channels to reach their customers in a more powerful and tangible way. So they reached out to CohereOne and J.Schmid for help launching a catalog. Taking the leap to first-time cataloger is as dramatic as any adventure with a Hydro Flask bottle in your pack. It’s an exciting trek to build on their proven designs and draw in their customers in a new way. This catalog launch targeted holiday shoppers in Q4, allowing them to show off their full product line and connect with their loyal customers, showing them gifting opportunities and introducing them to new product lines. Read the Case study at: https://jschmid.com/portfolio/hydro-flask/

Sears perfected the direct-to-consumer (DTC) model, long before DTC was widely known. Macy’s continued it with its legendary Christmas catalogs, as did many others, but the Sears catalog was the Gold Standard. While the catalog fell out of favor over the past 15 years or so, it is making a comeback. According to eMarketer, DTC revenues grew about 24% in 2020, and the marketing push by brands is driving much of that. DTC is the promotion and sale of products to consumers directly by the brands or manufacturers, effectively eliminating the in-store experience. While brands often do have physical retail stores, they are increasingly marketing their products directly to consumers. One of the ways they are doing that in 2021 is through catalogs mailed directly to homes. “We are seeing a huge resurgence in direct mail,” Polly Wong, president of Belardi Wong, a direct mail company for top brands such as Parachute, Levi’s, Untuckit, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma and more. much more at source: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/brands-turn-the-page-back-to-catalogs-as-powerful-dtc-marketing-tool