Online shopping is probably the newest form of commerce.  I say "probably" because, for all I know, there's something newer that I just haven't heard about yet.  That's how quickly the commerce industry can change, especially in the digital age.  But for now, let's foget about all things digital.  That's because the next case study I've got to report on is about a form of marketing that's older than the internet and computers in general.

MarketingSherpa has an excellent case study on how Impromptu Gourmet, an ecommerce division of Schwan's food service, went from digital to paper… and how the interaction of the two mediums translated into truly monumental successes.

Impromptu Gourmet already had an online presense, but Schwan's management wanted the division to create a mailable catalog to highlight holiday gift buying ideas and supplement online sales.  In an era of marketing where most companies are doing the exact opposite, Schwan's move was a bold one.

And the first attempt didn't pay off.  In fact, it pretty much failed miserably.

The company conducted focus groups with potential customers to determine what happened.  It became painfully aware to the company that their catalog needed a major overhaul.  And that's exaclty what they did.  After pouring through books, articles, and studies on catalog marketing, Schwan's made a number of major changes to the catalog and tried again.

This time, the company focused on the entire experience of a meal, not individual items.  Flipping through the new catalog was a much more complete experience.  Not only did the catalog group items together into full-course meals, but it even included music suggestions.  Situations that customers might find themselves in where translated into eating experiences, such a romantic dinners for two.

The redesigned catalog faired much better.  No… let me rephrase that.  The redesigned catalog performed phenomenally.  Prospecting list rates increased by 500%.  Customer response rates increased by 900%.  That's right… 900%!

They did their homework.  They tested.  They solicited customer feedback.  And they weren't afraid to make radical changes.  And Impromptu Gourmet got the results from their hard work.  We can all learn a lesson from the success of Impromptu Gourmet's success.