In this analysis piece, we take a look at three companies in the health and wellbeing sector who are taking it to their rivals via catalogues, and are doing so with great success.
The local corner chemist has come a long way from prescriptions and glucose jelly beans to now becoming the mecca of beauty and health for customers across all demographics, and the pharmacy chains are nailing it.
From catalogues to TV shows, newspapers to instore promotions, they are working their positioning harder than ever, and there are some strong marketing lessons we could all learn.
With catalogue and letterbox marketing holding a dominant position over other media channels and an audience reach of 20.1 million, compared to free-to-air TV (14 million), commercial radio (18 million) and newspapers (16.8 million), catalogues are a wise marketing investment.
The trend of pharmacy giants and boutique health and wellbeing retailers using catalogues to offer education and knowledge on top of product information is proving effective.
Furthermore, catalogues are ranked the most useful media for cosmetics and toiletries, so pushing the channel is critical for this market sector.
Chemist Warehouse’s House of Wellness
Chemist Warehouse, the largest chemist chain in the country, knows the power of catalogues and is proud of their knowledge producing informative catalogues to educate consumers on products important for their health and wellbeing under The House of Wellness.
This program supports their weekly sales catalogues and the Chemist Warehouse team have built the ‘how to’ model for others to learn from.
The company furthers the educational approach within other channels, from sports sponsorship (or brand presence) and now to brand credibility, with their TV program on 7TWO focusing on the latest lifestyle, health and beauty trends viewers can apply to their everyday lives.
Jumping from one channel to the next, Chemist Warehouse has proven that placing the focus on providing customers information about promoting health and wellbeing is effective in expanding its already wide audience, reinstating its brand position and communicating it at all times – value and reliability. Customers love it.
Lush’s Naked Truth
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics taps into the credible brand build, displaying expertise within its catalogues to educate consumers on sustainability – a key element to the Lush brand personality.
Lush created The Naked Truth, a catalogue focusing on unpackaged, or ‘naked’, products offering customers alternatives to packaged products in order to reduce the impact on the environment and ultimately waste to landfill.
It’s an informative approach, and while the content is different, the model is aligned with Chemist Warehouse, as Lush communicates its brand values while exploring its product range and offering. The catalogue format simply holds a platform to achieve this.
Canberra Centre’s catalogue of Eden
It’s not just the major health and wellbeing chains who are making the most of the channel either.
Canberra Centre has recognised the power of catalogues and taken a step towards increasing shopper experience with the creation of Eden, an educational catalogue providing customers with information about maintaining a work/life balance.
Eden promotes Canberra Centre’s pharmaceutical retailers through educating shoppers on the tips and tricks for promoting positive health and wellbeing.
The implementation of this catalogue increased the centre’s sales by 7.7 per cent in the first two months.
Eden was successful in not only engaging with its core audience, but also reaching the attention of those beyond the existing trade areas to promote the health and wellbeing among local consumers.
Canberra Centre’s concept to use catalogues to educate shoppers was also recognised by the industry, winning the Health and Wellbeing category at the annual Australasian Catalogue Awards this year.
With the increasing interest in health and wellbeing among Australians, pharmacies are creating catalogues to keep up with popular demand.
Pharmacy retailers are tapping into this with catalogues providing a platform to build a story and build engagement about product range, value and brand position. Customers use them for ideas, tips and of course ‘where to buy’. It’s a fascinating, growing sector worth keeping both eyes on.
