Customer Spotlight: Ballard Designs

Ballard Designs is the most recent of Dirxion’s clients to get a monitor-sized boost to their brand. In 1982, the home furnishings retailer got its southern roots in Atlanta as a one-woman start-up and has since become a premier multi-channel retailer of unique, European inspired décor.

Not unlike our other clients, Ballard Designs came to us seeking a different way to connect with their customers. What we created for them was a digital edition that mirrors the experience of their printed catalog while giving them the interactive bells and whistles of a website.

Ballard Designs is another great example of a digital strategy done right. Their catalog isn’t just a link to some eye candy. By making good use of our information rollovers (which on a mouse over highlights products and gives shoppers the ability to click on product images within each page), their customers can now more intuitively shop by flipping through their catalog and yet still go straight to their e-commerce site to place orders.

They also wasted no time in doing their viral marketing. Last Friday, Ballard Designs broadcasted the arrival of their new digital catalog with an email to customers and through the usual social media outlets:
From Ballard’s Facebook Fan Page:
“Attn: Ballard Fans! We are very pleased and excited to announce for the first time we now have an online version of our catalog! This is a great interactive online version that allows you to click on an item where it will then take you to the item on …our website. We appreciate you as fans and wanted to share this with you first! Enjoy and let us know your thoughts!”

Our work with Ballard Designs was a classic case of taking two channels of retail marketing, a website and a catalog, and no longer making the two mutually exclusive. Our digital edition was the only real way to offer their same unique look and feel while tying in the ease and interactivity of their website.

See Ballard Design’s digital catalog here.

Walking the Talk

Dirxion customer and lifestyle footwear leader, SKECHERS, has a new product initiative called Shape-ups. How out of the loop I feel after having learned a little bit more about these so called Shape-ups …

As of September 21, the Skechers Shape-up shoes had hit #4 on the list of best-selling shoes on Amazon.com, having spent 79 days in the top 100. Shape-ups are also featured in the October issues of both Shape Magazine and SELF Magazine and even celebrities like Charlie Sheen and Melissa Rivers are checking them out! And just recently, Bonnie Hunt gave away pairs of Shape-ups on her show!
What are these Shape-ups you ask?

Shape-ups from SKECHERS are designed to get you fit while you walk, work, shop, and more. Used regularly.  Shape-ups will enhance the way you feel and look; muscles get toned, calories are burned and your posture improves.

A pretty neat idea if you ask me. Way to go SKECHERS.

If you feel out of the loop like I did, why don’t you take a peek (here) at these best selling shoes using SKECHERS’ interactive catalogs. Here, you can view all of their catalogs online, browse their pages for the hottest SKECHERS footwear, and buy your favorite styles… all in just one click.

Skechers Shape-Ups Digital Catalog

If you’re not quite sold yet, do a little research on Shape-Ups. Praise for these shoes is widespread in the blogrolls. Here are a few opinions.

Mom Logic
“Comfort? Less stress? Compliments about thinness…? What’s not to love?”

Bargainist
“…it’s really hard to find time to work out these days, what with the kids back in school, work, errands… We get exhausted just thinking about it! That’s why we were so excited to see the new line of Skechers Women’s Shape-Ups at Finish Line Sports.”

Fitbottomedgirls
“…they are super cushy and fun, and I loved wearing them. They spice up a walk just by making it feel different. And yes, I really do think they work your muscles in a slightly different way than your usual shoes….”

Some comments from blog readers about Shape-Ups:

“I was unsure of these as well until I bought a pair for my wife. She wears them on her normal three mile walk and she has fallen in love with them.  She definitely feels it in her legs and rump and has put her other walking shoes on the shelf.” - Larry

“I’ve used the shape ups for a month and I love them. I feel results already. It is perfect for my busy schedule. Me and co-workers go on Shape-Up walks for 30 minutes and wear them as we do our normal walking also. Try them before you knock them. Be consistent with it too. Just like any other work out, of course.” - Donna

A Mutual Appreciation…

At Dirxion Digital Publishing, we try to make a concerted effort to ensure our customer’s experience is as pleasant as possible. We always hope we are meeting or exceeding their expectations. Even still, it’s humbling when someone takes time out of their day to acknowledge that our work is appreciated. We recently received this great compliment from Davidson Titles, who sells a wide range of literature from Children’s books and Instructional to Financials and Career Planning.

“Davidson Titles has looked at utilizing interactive catalogs for several years, but the choices were just too cost-prohibitive. Recently we had noticed an increase in the use of interactive catalogs in the publishing industry, so we started investigating our options again.
We were actually very close to going with another company when, strictly by chance, we discovered Dirxion and their perfect solution to our interactive catalog needs. Dirxion offered much better features and customizable options that were just what we were looking for. After a few quick phone calls the process was underway, and within two weeks Davidson Titles had its interactive catalogs online.
The production team at Dirxion knew just what we were looking for in the finished product and delivered it exactly as we had envisioned. I don’t believe we could be any more pleased and would like to thank everyone at Dirxion for a job well done. Personally, you’ve made my job much easier and made me look good in the process. I look forward to a long relationship with Dirxion in the future.”

-Scott Reeves
Graphic Design/Marketing, Davidson Titles, Inc.

Scott and everyone at Davidson Titles, we’d like to thank you for your kind words and also for being a customer of Dirxion. Sometimes jobs can be hard work, and then you receive a compliment like this and it keeps you going.

Davidson Title’s digital publishing uses a great looking multi-publication interface, custom background and the new catalog library search.  They also went through the effort of redesigning their website to give their new digital catalogs a more significant presence.

2 New Clients, 1 Solid Strategy

We have always said that the value your digital publication brings to your business is only as good as the promotion it receives. To date no one has argued with us … about anything … ever. I’m starting to think that either what we say has some truth to it or we are really just that intimidating.

Two companies that recently “got our message” are Enslow Publishers and Olympia Sports. Both are new to the Dirxion family of clients, both were creating digital catalogs to help promote their products, and both were sure to highlight their new campaign with effective email marketing. Kudos to you two, I say. We like to see you out there pounding the proverbial Internet pavement and doing what it takes to keep your fans engaged.

A Better Way to Search

Imagine being able to offer your customers the power to search across all of your digital editions from one simple little search box. With Dirxion’s Catalog Library Search, the days of searching through individual  publications are gone.

By giving your customers the ability to search all of your online publications simultaneously, not only will you provide better search results, you’ll also boost the end-user experience to a new level of satisfaction. Your customers will now be exposed to products/articles/ads that they might not have otherwise seen.

One customer that recently took advantage of Dirxion’s Catalog Library Search is TED Magazine, the voice of top electrical distributors in North America. Try it for yourself.

The Catalog Library Search feature packs a lot of potential, are you ready to take advantage of it?

Marketing Done Right

It’s official; the new Moosejaw Back to School ‘09 Catalog, “No Pants,” has gone viral.

The concept of the catalog is that in this economy, no one can afford to buy an entire outfit, so all the models are wearing shirts and jackets without pants.

Besides the fun of all this, they are doing a great job marketing the new digital catalog. In addition to the usual link on the homepage and email campaign, they also wrote a blog post about the new catalog and they are using Twitter effectively as well.

On Twitter, they are retweeting (RT) all their customers who tweet and talk about the new catalog. This is a great use of social networking to build the brand and drive more catalog page views.

You can follow Moosejaw on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/MoosejawMadness.

Here is a screenshot of their Twitter timeline from today. As you can see, people are still talking about it!

Koocanusa Adds to its Growing List of Online Publications

So you’re a publisher with more than one type of publication, or maybe you’re a marketing company that works with a variety of publishers. Either way, does it make sense to try to put a catalog into an online travel guide format or a magazine into an online directory format? Of course not.

Like many publishers, Koocanusa Publications has a diverse portfolio of magazines, guides and directories. Koocanusa recently added a magazine to its growing list of online publications provided by Dirxion. In addition to their existing directories, this Canadian-based publisher has just produced a digital edition of the Rocky Mountain magazine. The Rocky Mountain magazine provides visitors to the Kootenay Rockies with information and articles about what to see, where to go and local events occurring in the region. Koocanusa’s online publications give advertisers a way to reach beyond the traditional print audience.

As a provider of a variety of customized interfaces, we are well-positioned to serve customers like Koocanusa that have a diverse portfolio of publications. You can learn more about Koocanusa through their blog at: http://www.kootenaybiz.com/blog/ and learn more about Dirxion’s customizable interfaces at http://www.dirxion.com.

ETC Utilizing AND Promoting Dirxion’s New EdgeClix Platform

We love to spotlight customers who are actively promoting their new online publications, and this week, we wanted to give the spotlight to the new ETC online phonebook. After their new online directory went live, they sent out a monthly newsletter and wrote a nice piece about their new online phone book.

The results?

A ton of clickthroughs! ETC’s customers were obviously curious and excited about the mention of the new directory online, as ETC saw somewhere in the neighborhood of a 400% increase in usage. In other words, people were “quick to click” and enjoyed the experience.

As we’ve said before, all it takes is mentioning your new digital directory to your customers via email, social networks or your website, and it’s nearly a guarantee that people will click through to see what all the buzz is about.

Take a look at this quick snippet from the ETC Internet eNewsletter that went out just a few days ago to their customers:

That little paragraph was responsible for a HUGE spike in traffic to their new online publication.

Great job, ETC!

Visit the ETC online phone book by clicking on the cover below:

PCC Natural Markets Launches Bi-Weekly Digital Circular

PCC Natural Markets, based in Washington, is the largest consumer-owned natural food co-operative in the United States. Always on the forefront of innovation and sustainability, PCC Natural Markets has most recently made the decision to publish their bi-weekly circular online. The new digital circular is an exact replica of the printed version, only enhanced with some really cool elements. With the digital circular, shoppers can build a dynamic shopping list, bookmark pages, print pages, email the pages or the entire circular to a friend, view the delicious offering of natural foods in stunning detail, and last but certainly not least, subscribe to the the PCC Natural Market’s RSS feed (to be alerted when new ads or products are announced).

The Shopping List - A Must Talk About Feature

This feature is one that will certainly make your shopping experience in-store ten times easier. In a nutshell, here’s how it works:

1. Log on to the PCC Natural Markets website, and click on the green “What’s On Sale” button, which will be in the bottom, right side section of the screen. (This will launch the latest digital bi-weekly circular.)

2. Once the digital circular is in front of you, you’ll be presented with PCC Natural Market’s fine selection of foods that they currently have on special. Go ahead and flip through using the arrow in the upper right side of the page, or you can “grab” the corner of the page and virtually flip it with your mouse (as if you were turning the page of a print circular or catalog.)

3. As you are browsing through the pages chocked full of mouth watering foods and come across something you want to buy, click on the picture or item description and it will automatically be added to your virtual “shopping list”. Cool, right?

4. As you wrap up your virtual shopping trip, you can then click on the “Shopping List” tab on the left side of the page, and it will open another window displaying your entire shopping list. At that point, you can adjust the quantities and make any final adjustments to your list.

5. Finally, the fun part! Print your list by clicking on the “print” button, which appears just above your shopping list. It will then print out a nicely organized list that you can take into the store with you, allowing for a much more pleasant and faster shopping experience. Better yet, you also have the option of emailing the list to someone. Why would that be useful? Lets say you’re at home, and your spouse (who gets off of work in the next half hour) just so happens to pass by a PCC Natural Markets on the way home. You could email the list to your spouse at work and then he or she could pick up the items on their way home. Very cool!

So if there’s a PCC Natural Markets store in your area, your shopping experience just became a lot more fun! Even if there isn’t one near you, you can always check out their latest digital circular, play with all of the fun features and hope that one comes to your area soon!

Moosejaw Mountaineering Interviewed By MultiChannelMerchant.com

Even though our last blog post talked about Moosejaw’s mention on MultiChannelMerchant.com (which was announcing their new summer gear catalog), we just found out that yesterday, MultiChannel Merchant senior writer Tim Parry interviewed Moosejaw’s creative director Gary Wohlfeill about their digital catalog experience, and how much it has meant to their overall marketing strategy.

It’s a fantastic and informative interview, and you can read it here.

We really liked the 8th paragraph, and if you click through to read the article, you’ll see why. But besides that, Mr. Wohlfeill does an outstanding job of explaining the benefits of implementing a digital catalog and what it has meant to their company since their first digital catalog went online back in 2007.

Also, if you’re a regular reader of the Dirxion blog, you’ll notice that we often give advice and tips on different cutting edge ways that our customers can market their digital editions to get the most impact, and Mr. Wohlfeill, when asked how Moosejaw markets their digital catalog, had an excellent answer that is quoted below:

“We push it out via as many channels as possible; e-mail blasts, on the Web site, our blogs—Daily Remark and blog.moosejaw.com—Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, texting and on our mobile site.”

Another massive congrats to Gary and the entire Moosejaw team! Once again, we’re proud to work with Moosejaw and look forward to a bright future!

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