Coinciding with the start of this summer’s wedding season, china and gift manufacturer Lenox Collections coordinated a dual-channel campaign for its new Wedding Boutique.
The first effort came via an attention-grabbing mini-sized catalog, entitled Wedding Dreams. The 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ catalog — a book size usually mailed by catalogers during the winter holiday season -– is designed as a keeper in itself, suffused with two unique event-planning features.
The first is the addition of 1-1/2″ white margin space on roughly alternating pages, which is provided for ease of jotting down “Gift Notes.” The second, “Wedding Tips,” offers gift-buying suggestions which also serve as an editorial lift for specialty items (“Make a copy of your wedding day video and present to both sets of parents in our Ivory Moiré Video Case”).
Otherwise, the 36-page book is fairly dense with offerings that range from inexpensive gifts for the bride (“Something Blue” Satin Bow With Blue Pin for $14.95) to wedding accessories (a Minnie and Mickey cake topper for $95) plus dinnerware, crystal and flatware patterns.
Many gifts can also be personalized, and an entire page is dedicated to listing those items that are available for monograms. As with most Lenox catalogs, installment billing is available for $100+ orders, and free shipping is automatic with $200+ orders. A paragraph mention on the order form also promotes Lenox Collection’s online gift registry.
The second promotion was delivered via email to Lenox Collection’s newsletter subscribers as a wedding invitation of sorts. Adopting the same ethereal creative used on the cover of the catalog book, the email “requests the honor of your presence at our new online Wedding Boutique.”
Without the draw of the items themselves to encourage Web site traffic, Lenox Collection’s email appeals to recipients with features (“Catalog Quick Buy”) and services (“Complimentary Lenox Bridal Consultation”) that simplify online browsing, purchasing and registry set-up. An additional link is also provided for ease of requesting a free Wedding Dreams catalog.
Jean Cho is research manager at ParadyszMatera in New York, which analyzes direct mail pieces through it’s online tracking service MarketRelevance.
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