MY FIRST “JOB” IN DIRECT MARKETING (THOUGH there was no such name for DM then) was hand-creating individual fliers to stuff into neighbors' mailboxes. The terrific response generated enough baby-sitting fees to provide a dynamite wardrobe for junior high.
Yes, I've been in this business a long time. As you might expect, I have seen my share of the good, the bad and the ugly. From the hundreds of companies I either worked for or was fortunate enough to have as clients, which one had real wisdom? And what might we all learn from that firm?
To me, distinctions like “most successful,” “highest number of awards” and “best creative” are not, by themselves, the qualities needed to earn the deceptively simple title “best ever.” The best-ever winner, of course, did what all good catalog companies do: constantly explored the possibilities of expanding its product line; took well-considered risks to attract new customers; worked diligently to set up and maintain top customer service; always listened to customer feedback; repeatedly and regularly tested offers; took every step possible to create, maintain and reinforce a consistent brand image across all channels; and questioned each aspect of the business for its financial efficiency in relationship to its impact on customer satisfaction.
Its creative would never win awards — not that all involved didn't think it would be quite lovely to do so, but because this catalog's positioning required a super-dense presentation that was best handled through painstakingly thought-out organization rather than showy graphics. Part of a much larger company, with all the advantages and disadvantages associated with more powerful, usually slower-moving parents, this book actually benefited from its corporate tether as it taught the disciplines necessary to become the best ever.
Two main attributes made this catalog a winner. They're characteristics everyone talks and talks about but those we seldom see flourishing: a true, working team spirit and an ability to communicate effectively.
TEAM SPIRIT
“Rah-rah team!” sounds old-fashioned and hokey, and it was. Let's start with the corniest team bit first: the company theme song. Yep, a tape recording of this song sometimes would be played before bigger gatherings, such as brainstorming sessions. After the first embarrassing moments of pitifully attempting to sing along, you'd start to laugh at yourself, then everybody would be chuckling, singing away, and working together to create something that changed as it progressed. We moved from embarrassment and tentative risk-taking into a teamwide pride of accomplishment. We knew if that attitude could work for something this silly, it'd be there for us under more important circumstances.
Another aspect of this team spirit was how vendors (such as myself) were treated. Invited and sincerely encouraged to participate in all planning and other events affecting the business, vendors were made to feel that their opinions had genuine value. At the same time, we also were made to understand that this cataloger viewed everything completely objectively, weighing in-house expertise and outside opinions equally, then coming to its own consensus on how to move ahead. The result was a thorough blending of opinion, not one group blindly following what some other group said.
Ha! you say — politics would prevent such a balanced approach. Well, politics always had to be dealt with, but such issues were largely and neatly circumvented at open meetings where everyone had a chance to contribute. Miracle of miracles, if politics did influence a strategy, resulting considerations were acknowledged and actions taken to work with any potential negatives. It wasn't perfect, but it was darn close.
Further, corporate management from the parent company was unusually (but appropriately) involved. This was rare since, for most catalogs operating as separate divisions of a larger entity, top management's bonus usually was only minimally affected by the catalog's results, if at all. Thus a real sense of caring by upper management about what happens to a company's catalog business can be quite elusive.
But in this case it was obvious that management wanted to be drawn in as much as possible, but didn't want to be meddlesome. As seen in some of those “ugly” companies, the corporate officers didn't rethink every middle-management strategy.
COMMUNICATION
Try this with a group of your co-workers: Pick teams of three members each. Have an easel with a pad and something to draw with nearby. Have person No. 1 at the easel; person No. 2 doing something that person No. 1 can't see; then have person No. 3 explain in detail to the person at the easel what that unseen person is doing. The challenge: Person No. 1 at the easel must correctly render what's happening based solely on the verbal explanation. It's a lot harder than it sounds.
While you're attempting this exercise, try to stay calm as you discover that almost no one takes the time to really think about what they're saying; as a result, they often fail to express themselves clearly. Thanks to being exposed to this exercise by the cataloger, I learned how important it is to be as specific as possible when speaking or writing.
AND THE WINNER IS…
General Mills' Betty Crocker catalog. The Betty Crocker catalog, born roughly 50 years ago — no one knows for sure — provided discounts primarily on kitchen-related goods in exchange for coupons found on General Mills' products.
Wait, you say, you can't pick a catalog that closed its doors this year! Ah, but knowing where and when to properly assign resources is a basic tenet for success. Though General Mills has not made any official statement, I believe the time for coupon clipping was over and the company was smart enough to realize that.
Wisdom also means knowing when to move ahead…and when to quit.
KATIE MULDOON (kmuldoon@muldoonandbaer.com) is president of DM/catalog consulting firm Muldoon & Baer Inc., Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
