Catalog Doctor: Spur Response With Unit Drivers

What Makes a Product a Unit Driver?
Low price. Some catalog marketers think unit drivers are always low priced. That’s not always true, but a low price can often help because low-priced products create an easier decision for a prospect to try out your catalog. Plus, low-priced products are more likely to be added on to an existing order.

Consumables. If it’s a type of product that gets used up, and customers really liked the first one they got from you, they’ll often come back for more. This buying cycle creates unit drivers. Examples include food, notebook refills, a classic turtleneck shirt, among other products.

Signature product. Food catalogers sometimes have one signature product that drives 20 percent to as much as 80 percent of their sales. Other types of catalogers have signature products, too. Signature products are often unique and steeped in history. If you have a stable of quality signature products that get worn out or used up — and are also great values — you’ll likely find those in your top-10 unit driver report year after year.

Where to Put Unit Drivers in Your Catalog
To boost response, position your unit drivers out in the open where prospects will be sure to see them. Use these window display spots to grab attention and build interest fast:

• back cover;
• front cover;
• opening spread; and
• beside bind-ins (because a catalog naturally falls open to spots where cards, order forms or other inserts are bound in).

Effective use of window display locations will not only help sell more unit drivers, but more prospects will look inside your book, too. They’ll be thinking, “These products are great, I’ll bet there are more inside. I think I’ll take the time to look further.”

Put additional unit drivers inside the catalog near the front of your product categories and adjacent to products for which they’re natural add-ons (e.g., shirts by jackets, jam by muffins). Cross-sell to unit drivers wherever cross-sells make sense. Apply the same principles to unit drivers on your website’s homepage and category pages, as well as in your emails.