More than 174 retail locations. Recurrent winner of
“Most Popular Store” in New York City´s Zagat Shopping Guides. Anthropologie is doing something right.
Describing this retailer as simply “a brand that sells women’s clothing and...” would be correct, but a huge understatement. The Anthropologie brand exudes a sense of romance, craftsmanship, bohemian style and creativity. It’s also known to have some of the most creative and elaborate decor showcased in their windows and showrooms.
In short, they embrace their niche and do everything possible to stand apart from the rest of the retail crowd...including cheating.
Grabbing the market’s attentionAnd as we all know in marketing, we have mere seconds to grab the buyer’s attention and interest. Rising to the top of the pile of glossy magazine-style catalogs that 99 percent of retailers send, the Anthropologie catalog always catches my immediate attention.
Yes, it’s gorgeously designed (This month’s theme was Portugal.). But more importantly, it’s printed on uncoated paper...well, the cover is. And this is what I mean by cheating.
On the inside, Anthropologie opts for a coated publishing stock—much cheaper considering the quantity printed. The look and feel throughout the piece is perfect—absolutely inline with the branding of their stores. But they stop me in my tracks every time with the tactile quality of that cover printed on uncoated stock.
And you don’t have to print hundreds of thousands of catalogs to benefit from this lovely bait-and-switch tactic.
Gather around a tight budgetGather Journal, an independently published magazine about the love of food, cooking and gathering with friends, is produced on a very tight budget. They too show us how it pays to cheat.
“The biggest thing that I learned with this project was the combination of an inexpensive grade inside (when I say inexpensive, it’s not the cheapest paper you can buy, but it’s an opaque offset) with a beautiful, beautiful cover by Mohawk, “ says Frits Kouwenhoven of
Hemlock Printers and the printer of
Gather Journal. “To put those two together, I don’t know, as a printer day in and day out, it would never really have come to me.”
After much testing and scrutinizing on both sides, the design team of
Gather Journal decided to splurge on the cover (Mohawk Via Linen) and save money on the inside (Lynx Opaque).
Cheat and be rewarded“Nothing new to you,” you say? Then take this as a friendly reminder or even better yet, a chance to call on your existing clients and prospects.
If you’re a printer, here’s your chance to shine. Help your catalog, magazine and even brochure clients take advantage of this cheating trend. Help them grab their audience’s attention by splurging on the cover. Then balance that with a less expensive paper for the inside pages.
Use this cheating technique to help your design clients create stunning pieces while staying within their tight budgets...and be prepared to reap the glory.
Check out
my video highlighting the
Gather Journal and why this magazine is satisfying in every way—from mouthwatering recipes and photography to the nutritious essays and enticing graphic design.
