CATALOG MAKEOVER:
How to Execute a Successful Catalog Re-launch

CLIENT:
Jack Stack Barbecue 2004 Fall/Holiday Catalog

Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue, voted best barbecue in the country in the Zagat survey, is a Kansas City-based restaurant and mail order business that sells world class hickory-smoked barbecue to customers around the country through its catalog and website.

While engaged in fledgling direct mail efforts in 2002 and 2003, Jack Stack was not seeing significant results. The primary strategy behind the Fall/Holiday 2004 campaign was to integrate the three drivers of catalog success (marketing, merchandising and creative) to re-build and re-launch the young Jack Stack mail order business. This meant a complete overhaul of the creative effort, a number of additions to the merchandise assortment and a totally new contact strategy and circulation plan.

Tactically, each strategy worked to perfection. The catalog expanded from a 16-page slim-jim format to a
24-page full size catalog. Four drops were executed from September to December, starting and ending with targeted customer file mailings and featuring new customer acquisition to targeted lists in between. Dozens of products were re-shot and a new cover design made the catalogs stand out in the mail. The existing merchandise assortment was analyzed and revamped to ensure that Jack Stack was offering customers and prospects exactly the gifts and meals they wanted at the prices they expected. To strengthen the brand, the copy was infused with Jack Fiorella's “voice” and personality, expressing his passion for great barbecue.

The results of the 2004 Fall/Holiday campaign exceeded all expectations. The overall response rate grew significantly, with some segments generating response rates in excess of 33 percent. In addition, the targeted prospect lists generated exceptional response rates of 1.5 to 4 percent. Overall retention among the customer file was also exceptional – within the 12-month buyer file alone, the re-purchase rate was a phenomenal
78 percent, compared to a 40-50 percent re-purchase rate for a typical consumer catalog.

The mail order business had lost money in 2002 and 2003 but saw record profits in its first effort under the re-launch. Jack Stack exceeded its growth projections by 100 percent and increased the 12-month customer file more than 75 percent. For new customer acquisition, typically conducted at a loss, Jack Stack was able to produce a positive contribution overall.