Looking to build on its success with “Barbie” two summers ago for its other major toy brands, Mattel has announced the formation of Mattel Studios. Mattel will be combining its…

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

If you want your business to survive in the coming months, focus is the name of the game. Consider conducting an omnichannel audit, an in-depth review of your business that will allow for the creation of a blueprint you can act on with focus rather than fear. A focused audit does not have to cost you anything more than time, mental energy and a collaborative attitude. Just remember that success is not immediate, and you must critique each of the silos within your business. Most companies begin by auditing their selling channels. Instead, you should go back to the basics. What are the ingredients of a successful direct marketing program? Veteran marketers would say it covers three categories: 1) marketing strategy 2) the offer and 3) creative, and we would agree! However, there’s an initial, critical component missing. As it’s the key foundation to any marketing effort, we must start with brand FIRST, prior to discussing and auditing those classic three.