Magalogues make a mark in Australia

Fusion of magazines and catalogues expected to grow in Australia following success overseas.

A report in Deliver magazine claims that the medium is the next step in the catalogue’s evolution, which has proved successful in terms of marketing. “The magalog is a critical vehicle for marketing – because their marketing mix must reflect how the Gen Y audience consumes media across multiple platforms,” the article writes.

Craig Huey, president of Torrance, California-based Creative Direct Marketing Group Inc told Deliver that: “In sales, they say ‘The more you tell, the more you sell’. That’s what a magalog allows you to do in a readable, enjoyable, non-threatening way. It’s like an infomercial in print.”

Locally, Ken Bishop, (pictured), CEO of the Australian Catalogue Association, confirmed that the medium has to date been used by “two major retailers” who placed them in-store and had not yet delivered them through the letterbox.

“Both of these retailers reported considerable success both in terms of product sales and consumer enquiries,” he said. “One of them is planning on producing another magalogue before Christmas this year and will increase the quality.”

Bishop believes that the magalogue concept will prove popular in the Australian marketplace. “Retailers are always thinking of how to broaden their offering and make them a larger part of their catalogue campaign,” he said.