Great catalogs are no longer just about selling products. They must go further to emotionally connect with readers; they must offer options that engage customers; they must allow customers complete control over when and how they shop. The era of Catalog 2.0 has begun, and marketers are scrambling to keep up.

Catalogs today are about much more than selling products in print. They need to be compelling engagement tools that reinforce the brand, build customer relationships, stimulate desire and solve problems. A great catalog creates a "desire dance" — that stirring of interest that leads the reader deeper into the brand and down the path to a purchase.

Ever since the first order came over the Internet, people have been predicting the eventual death of the print catalog. Yet for many multi-channel merchants, especially those brands that began as catalogs, this predictable and proven tactic continues to generate sales. It's also key to file retention.

Here's a depressing stat: About 80% of catalogs received in the mail get thrown away without so much as a peek inside the cover. So after all the planning, list segmentation, careful consideration of product mix and offers, design and costs, a vast majority of catalogs go directly to the recycle bin. Ouch.

Most brands take advantage of a phone order to upsell, but have you considered using this opportunity to convert a single-channel buyer into a multichannel buyer? If the conversation permits, you can introduce the customer to useful and relevant tools on your website.

Merchants tend to view customer service as a purchase activity; one of receiving and shipping an order. But in this new era of marketing, how we “serve” the consumer requires a new line of thinking and, therefore, a new dimension of marketing.

What’s the single biggest mistake that most marketers make when it comes to delivering a brand experience? Communicating your brand to customers only. Are you guilty?

In the multichannel world, we like to measure things. Every marketing dollar spent is, ideally, associated with a return on investment, though it is getting harder to track and measure. There is one metric that does not lie that you don’t have to chase: your average order value. And it’s an important one.

Multichannel marketers today tend to get caught up in the frenzy of the next greatest trend. What about Web 3.0? What’s the hot social networking application?

Mailing a catalog is a considerable investment, so every single book, every page, every photograph must work hard to maintain the catalog’s goal.

Products and services. That's what we sell. As marketers, we are in the business of selling "things." But some of these products stand out because they provide the solutions to problems people need answered.