Driving Catalog Customization at Scale
Vision builds a solution to help wholesaler customize channel partner catalogs at scale.
Challenge
The nation’s largest wholesale distributor of business products gives their independent dealer channel partners access to a vast product assortment, a world-class fulfillment network and a full suite of marketing tools that enable their partners to market over 65,000 items across multiple categories to be a single source for their business needs. Marketing tools include a large variety of product catalogs ranging from full assortment (25,000 items) to smaller, category focused assortments.
The primary purpose of the catalog cover program is to provide their channel partners with a wide range of fresh, market-relevant cover options that serve to position resellers’ brands in a positive, contemporary way and embrace the diverse set of cultures they serve. The selection of covers was limited (to about 30) and was not consistent between the different catalog options, so the reseller distributed catalogs without a consistent theme.
Goals
- Offer more variety and relevant covers that position resellers’ brands in a positive, contemporary way
- Create similar themes across different product catalogs
- Achieve brand consistency and cohesion
- Fully automate the production process
- Lower production costs
Vision Solution
We built better marketing with personalization at scale by developing a strategic and creative way to cohesively integrate the resellers’ brand personalities across marketing tools. With more choices and design styles, finding new ways to incorporate the brands is easier than ever. In this program, the reseller selects a creative ‘track ’instead of individual covers. The track provides a similar theme across all their catalogs. As a result, customers see a cohesive and consistent look at every touch point.
Primary and secondary colors enhance cover tracks.
All tracks have a primary variable color that can match the tone of the reseller’s masthead—making tracks even more unique to their brand. Additionally, some tracks have a secondary color in the cover design. The secondary color is an accent color that’s used to highlight different parts of a design. This secondary color is picked as a complementary color to the primary, so if the reseller’s brand is blue, the complementary color is in the red/orange family.
How Vision Did This
- Market intelligently with data-triggered tools: Vision automated the entire manufacturing process of reseller cover production. This new process includes multiple variations of creative, and variable color and copy based on the reseller’s unique brand colors and messaging. Vision reviewed and reformatted over 5,000 reseller imprints to a standard size and spec that would automatically integrate with the new covers program.
- Personalize relevant messages at scale: Vision transitioned a conventionally printed cover program to a digitally printed process with fully integrated personalization.
- Empower access, maintain control and distribution of more marketing: Vision created a platform that enables resellers to browse all the cover options and see how their brand would integrate with their selection and the opportunity to download a PDF. This platform also automates the cover proofing process, previously done manually and reduces demands on the marketing team.
The Vision Impact
- Streamlined ordering and online proofing eliminated over 4,300 hours of manual labor, the equivalent of 2 FTE’s.
- Automated production processes based on modular cover eliminated over $350,000 in annual production costs
- Fully variable print capabilities allowed resellers to match their brand colors and deliver expanded variable messaging. This enhanced overall brand experience for the resellers end customers drove a 17% lift in program participation.