Travel Catalogs Are Making a Comeback, Says the Harvard Business Review

Has the catalog made a comeback? That’s the question asked by the Harvard Business Review in its February issue—and its answer is yes, it has. And indeed, while some rue the effect on the world’s trees, many travel advisors agree.

“Despite two decades of email and social media marketing, and the digitization of the consumer experience, catalog mailings have been steadily increasing since 2015. And what’s more, consumers are surprisingly enthusiastic about receiving them – response rates from catalogs have increased by 170% from 2004 to 2018,“ HBR reported.

Even more surprising, says Jonathan Z. Zhang in his article titled “Why Catalogs Are Making a Comeback”, “Millennials are particularly interested in catalogs they receive in the mail.”

Many travel suppliers are investing heavily in paper catalogs again. And so also are retailers who’ve built their models by being purely online, like Wayfair and Amazon, Zhang says.

A marketing consultant and professor at Colorado State University, Zhang says he tested his catalog theory with a luxury online jeweler, who sent emails and/or paper catalogs to 30 percent of its customers, chosen at random. The company experienced a 15 percent increase in sales and a 27 percent increase in inquiries from those who received both over those who received only an email—and a 49 percent increase and sales and 125 percent increase in inquiries over customers who received neither. Catalogs had a 90 percent open rate vs. 26 percent for emails, and customers held onto them for an average of seven days.

It’s not just the fact that customers looked at them that boosted sales, either, Zhang said. The real power of catalogs “is how they increase the vividness of a product by enhancing the consumer’s ability to visualize and imagine product usage experiences. Vividness is especially important for hedonic products and services (vs. utilitarian) that are purchased for fun, enjoyment and pleasure, and contain richer experiential aspects.”

Indeed, when there is no physical store in which to see a product, “well-designed catalog campaigns allow them to make the product presentation more vivid, tactile, and memorable,” leading to “increased customer involvement, loyalty, and sales.”

Of course not any old catalog will do. Zhang suggests a focus on “stunning imagery and creative presentations,” such as those of Celebrity Cruise Lines, and stories about the experiences of customers that help the reader envision himself there.

Travel Advisors Give It a Try

It’s not just travel suppliers who are finding success with paper catalogs and magazines; so too are many travel advisors. Travel Leaders Group, for example, says the number of mailings by its members agents has been increasing—and so have the bookings that result.

With 10 million names (17 percent of them Millennials) in its database, “delivering print brochures and publications into the homes of our members’ customers is part of our DNA,” says Travel Leaders Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Stephen McGillivray. That includes “direct mail in all shapes and forms, some single-supplier direct mail, and more and more, multi-page, multi-supplier brochures, periodicals and magazines.”

In 2019 Travel Leaders offered 14 publications—up almost 300 percent from the five on its roster in 2015. 

As it built up the number of mailings, Travel Leaders kept a careful eye on whether consumers would feel it was too much and opt out. But none did. “Our publications talk about bucket lists and dreams, and customers like reading them,” McGillivray said. “They have a shelf life; they don’t get tossed; and the name on the collateral is the name of the travel agency.” 

Travel brochures excite the consumers’ imagination, “showing them images of these fabulous locations around the world--those over-the-water bungalows or the artifacts in Egypt are spine-tingling, making them think they have always wanted to do it and now is the time,” he said.

Travel Leaders' newest publications, rolled out in 2019, include Ascend, designed to help agencies that specialize in corporate travel sell more leisure, and “a couple of hotel magazines” to accompany the Select Hotel Program. With a new destination wedding specialist course just rolling out, it also will increase the number of agencies receiving Destination Bliss, to include everyone who takes the course.

Destination Bliss and Active & Adventure, both launched in 2017, are aimed at the Millennial market, though of course travelers of any age might be interested.

Travel agency members are invited to opt into having their customers included in mailings; they receive a set number based on their sales and then can order more; as an example, the 100-page Postcards is offered to about 500 members and 90 percent of those opt in, McGillivray said.

Some Opt In, Some Opt Out 

Whether to invest in mailings is an individual—and even sometimes a political—decision. Many advisors say they support the travel industry’s environmental concerns and oppose mailing out paper; other say they don’t think customers are interested. Still others say brochures undermine the promise of the travel advisor to find the right destination for them.

“It’s just not my business model; I’m 100 percent virtual. The only physical mail my groups get is the actual travel documents,” says Will Medina of Destination Weddings Expert LLC. “My promise to my couples is to provide them with curated recommendations. A brochure only adds to the overwhelm of choices they paid me to simplify.”

Still, though, he adds, those paper documents are “a big opportunity to put my brand in every guest’s hands.” 

Haisley Smith of The Travel Life says that where she used to get 10-12 calls a year from clients asking to opt out of mailings, she now gets that many a month. She too has opted out of automatic mailings and now orders brochures on demand. 

Maxine Ezra of Maxxe Travel would never send a consortium magazine to her customers. But Camille Sperrazza’s marketing plan at TheWorldAwaitsTravel.com includes mailings from Travel Leaders, for which she gets positive feedback. “They are attractive and inspirational,” Sperrazza says, and “put your name in clients’ hands and remind them that you are out there.”

Orenda Travel founder Beth Johnston uses Virtuoso’s brochures and magazines; “I think it adds a more personal touch, and I for one like to hold print in my hand and read it as opposed to reading online,” she says.

Brand-new travel advisor Becki Bozart didn’t see much of a return last year from the Cruise Planners magazine she sent her customers. But she did get a number of “likes” and new contacts when she offered copies on her Facebook page—and one customer has requested a consult for a destination highlighted in it. “I think it makes a home-based agent look more legit. And that commission, if they book, will cover my costs,” she says. 

“I love looking at the hard copy of something! We give out tons of brochures at the bridal shows we attend and other events, and people love looking through them,” says Selena Bohinski of First Class Travel. “I know people who hold onto them or give them to friends for referrals.”

And as a family travel specialist, “I had out a lot of paper brochures; little ones like to look at paper pictures and maps,” says Jillian Urban, partner at Looking Glass Travel. “When you specialize in Disney Vacations, it’s hard to say no to your younger ones when they keep pointing to the castle, reminding mom and dad that Miss Jillian said Mickey and Minnie live near there!”

Christina Ernst says she has seen more supplier mailings in the past few weeks than she has in a long time. Just last week she had a client who drove 30 minutes, showed up at her office unannounced and asked to see brochures about Bermuda. He bought a five-night package to the Fairmont

Kimberly Faiello, director of loyalty marketing and brand management for Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc., said their travel advisor franchisees and members largely support the Travel Leaders Network direct mail program, in which they participate. 

“In the past, our Vacation magazine did very well as a great piece to keep past passengers engaged on travel trends, as well as with the up-and-coming hottest destinations. Through Travel Leaders Network, we have an opportunity to send more than 15 magazine/brochure-style pieces to our customers. It gives our agents an opportunity to really focus on their customers and their likes, and then serve up the perfect mailer to complement their travel style.”

In the end, say the marketing experts, it takes repeated impressions to generate a response, and paper catalogs can help do that. 

“You are never sure what causes the phone to ring, but you have to be in the game,” says McGillivray at Travel Leaders. “I think there are more sellers of travel today than there have ever been; to me, this is the golden age of travel advisors. Each one finds what works for them in their marketplace—be it home-based, storefront, affiliated with a host, or in a network.” 

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