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With both a print catalogue and an online shop, they service all of their UK and many overseas customers out of their own warehouse based just south of Bath. BrightMinds was established in 2000 and has already earned 4 National Mail Order Awards, including the ECMOD 2005 Award for “Best All Around Catalogue Business” in their annual sales bracket.
BrightMinds sends out over one million print catalogues per year. They come out with 4 issues annually, each about 60 pages in length. In January of 2006, UK's Royal Mail announced that they were going to change their pricing structure and increase mailing costs. As a result, BrightMinds came to the realization that the process of mailing millions of print catalogues a year was going to become very expensive, especially to anyone overseas, leading the retailer to explore the solution of an online catalogue.
Most of BrightMinds' competitors are online-only retailers
with no online catalogues on their sites, just product
categories and pages. The availability and popularity
of BrightMinds' print catalogue gives them a competitive
advantage over these retailers, and they knew they could
further solidify this advantage by bringing the catalogue
online. Also, the retailer recognized that giving customers
the option to browse the catalogues online would endorse
the BrightMinds name and provide a clear, consistent
brand image.
Challenges /Goals
- Reduce the number of print catalogue requests
- Increase competitive advantage
- Increase average order value and response rates
- Provide a clear and consistent brand image
- Give a catalogue shopping option to customers overseas who cannot receive print
Strategy
Engage
- Endorse a consistent brand image by seamlessly integrating the online catalogue onto BrightMinds’ site
- Increase browsing time with rich media interactivity
- Provide a link to catalogue on the homepage and all top level navigation
Inform
- Send monthly direct marketing emails that focus on and link directly to the catalogue
- Show product detail with catalogue zoom feature
Convert
- Link directly to transactional product pages
- Click through from catalogue pages to suggested cross-sells and up-sells
Results
- 14% - increase in average order value
- 15% - increase in response rates
- 10% - decrease in printed catalogue requests
- Growth in competitive advantage
- Increased customer satisfaction
As a result of the strategies developed by both BrightMinds
and RichFX, the average order value for purchases
made by clicking through the online catalogue as opposed
to those who clicked through on normal product pages
was ? 52 and ? 45 respectively,
a 14% increase overall. Additionally, RichFX solutions
helped BrightMinds to experience a 10% decrease in
printed catalogue requests, a goal that they were
delighted to reach.
The decrease in printed requests was not only financially
advantageous to the retailer, but it helped BrightMinds
do their part in helping the environment. "We know
that it is unrealistic to expect all of our customers
to convert to using the online catalogue only, but
we have definitely seen a significant shift. We
are advocates of environmental improvement, and I'm
happy that we're able to contribute to this cause,"
Quill said.
Customer response to the addition of BrightMinds
online catalogue was extremely positive. Response
rates for emails that directed customers to catalogue
pages via a "click to buy" button increased by 15%.
In addition, verbal and written feedback indicated
that customers thought the online catalogue was a
"brilliant idea" and it was "so much easier to use
then product lists on the website." They also exclaimed
how exciting it was that BrightMinds was intentionally
and effectively reducing paper use in regards to the
environment.
Goals such as providing a consistent brand image
and sustaining a competitive advantage were clearly
met. BrightMinds site drives more traffic than ever,
and with the online catalogue, customers are even
more prone to purchase items from the website.
Also, the online catalogue gives them an advantage
overseas, providing customers outside the UK with
a way to browse catalogue pages from a UK retailer,
something they don't get to do on local competitor's
sites.
Next Steps
In the short term, BrightMinds plans on including
more catalogues onto their site and adding more than
100 pages to the next issue. Additionally, by continuing
to focus on the online catalogue via email, they expect
to reduce printed costs even further, adding to total
revenue. By choosing the RichFX platform, BrightMinds
has given itself several options including alternative
views, co lour change and zoom.
"Our partnership with RichFX has saved us time and
money, and we've been able to grow because of it.
We are extremely satisfied with the results we've
seen, and we plan on working with them for years to
come," said Quill.
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