Williams-Sonoma Updates with the New Year
Williams-Sonoma's The Catalog for Cooks rang in the New Year by updating its catalog's cover designs. 
Cover photos are printed in full bleed, extending the images across the entire page. Previous photos were printed below roughly 2-1/2" of white space containing the Williams-Sonoma logo and surrounded by a slender white border on all sides. The company mailed several versions of its "January 2005" edition. One, a 96-page book, was mailed in anticipation Valentine's Day. It features the Rustic Heart dish collection filled with a delectable dessert on the cover along with "homemade valentines" and "Valentine's Day Delivery" for cooks who want to make the day extra special. Two additional catalogs, which promote the All-Clad stainless-steel cookware collection, omit the holiday touches for a more generic feel. Instead, they include a brief welcome note from founder Chuck Williams. He discusses the value of sharing a meal, describing it as "one of the most important ways we have initiated and sustained personal relationships throughout history." The note goes on to emphasize Williams-Sonoma's commitment to its customers by providing them the "finest" cooking equipment available as well as "useful" tips and recipes to make cooking more "approachable and enjoyable." Each tip and recipe is highlighted by a bold background, allowing them to stand out among the many kitchen appliances, tools, gadgets and other accessories.
The Paragon's Springtime Offerings
Those seeking a head start on their springtime gift shopping needs can look no further than the latest book from The Paragon. 
The cataloger often structures its mailings toward the holidays and seasons, and this piece is no exception. Featuring a pink and white tic-tac-toe board with red, pink and white gemstone paperweights serving as playing pieces on the front cover, the 8" x 10-1/2" catalog offers merchandise for Valentine's Day, as well as Saint Patrick's Day and Easter. Copy reading "from the heart," "love is in the air," "Happy Easter" and "for my valentine" provides added emphasis on upcoming holidays while also unifying similarly themed items. The wide array of holiday goods offered includes a set of 12 shamrock tealight holders ($4.95), six Easter cookie magnets ($17.95), and six sweet nothing boxes ($22.95). While seasonal products are prominent in this mailing, plenty of The Paragon's typical gifts (glass bird magnets, glass photo coasters and aromatherapy pens) are found throughout the catalog's 52 pages. These "year-round" novelties range in price from $4.95 to $84.95.
PetsMart's Not-for-Profit Operations
PetsMart is best known for its retail chain and Web presence, catering to the needs of pet owners. 
However, consumers are not the only ones served by the company. The organization also runs a not-for-profit division named PetsMart Charities, dedicated to finding "a lifelong loving home for every pet in North America." A recent #10 package from the organization not only serves as an introduction to the fundraiser, but also to some of the animals that the charity has placed in adoptive homes. For example, on the outer envelope, reply form and the bottom of the first page of the letter is a picture of a happy and healthy puppy named Squirt. As the letter explains, the once-homeless dog's condition was far worse before being picked up by the "Rescue Waggin'" (one of the various programs funded by PetsMart Charities.) The remainder of the 4-page letter describes such operations, all designed to "fight pet overpopulation and reduce euthanasia" through adoption and spay/neuter programs. In the mailing, the fundraiser requests donations along an ask ladder of $20/$35/$50/$100/$250/other.
The direct mail promotions appearing in Mail Stream are tracked and analyzed by ParadyszMatera, a media brokerage services company, through its MarketRelevance(tm) Promotion Library. Click here to visit their site: ParadyszMatera.com.
