Catalog Choice - Paperless Blog » Featured

Stop Unwanted Mail to Your Company Too!

Chuck — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:14:18 +0000

Many great solutions start by addressing a household problem (Quicken) and then expand to help your company (Quickbooks). Catalog Choice is following the same path. Today we are pleased to announce that we have added Company Name to the address profile for our Member accounts. At the same time, we have added Company Name to the secure data file that we transfer to the mailer.

If you are a small business owner, you can add your office address to your existing Catalog Choice account. To do this, go to your profile and add a new address. Set the ‘nickname’ for this address to your company name and make sure you add your company name to the address profile.

If you work at a larger company and want to stop the flow of unwanted advertising mail at your office, create a new account dedicated to your office location. You can add names of long lost employees that continue to get mail to your account. We have kept the sign up form simply so Company Name does not appear on the sign up form. After signing up, go to your profile, scroll down to the Address area and edit the address so you can add the Company Name.

We know that the companies that send catalogs and advertising mail to your office are different than those that mail to your home. As a result, we are working on a new system that will streamline the process of suggesting and adding new mailers to our service. In the meantime, use our Suggest a Catalog page to let us know of mailers that you want us to add to our system.

City of Seattle Passes Do Not Mail Resolution

Chuck — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:43:40 +0000

Today the City of Seattle passed a non-binding resolution asking the State of Washington to set up a do not mail registry and directing the Seattle Public Utilities agency to evaluate the existing mail preference services as an option to provide an effective service to Seattle residents. This second part of the resolution is in direct response to feedback from the industry. As the largest independent voluntary mail preference solution, we welcome the opportunity to inform the City about what it takes to run an effective voluntary service.

You can view the Council’s discussion on the topic by viewing this video of the City Council meeting. Click Resolution 31169 from the right hand side index or fast forward to 46:50 of the video.

Happy Holidays from Catalog Choice

Chuck — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:27:07 +0000

Marketers Prefer Paper, Consumers Prefer Choice

Chuck — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:18:41 +0000

Jeffrey Ball, a Wall Street Journal reporter covering environmental and energy issues, published an excellent article on the issues facing catalog marketing. Jeff thoroughly researched the topic and put together one of the more balanced pieces I have read. Take a moment and give the article a read. Make sure you check out the comment string.

Jeff clearly articulates some key facts that are shaping the debate around paper-based direct marketing:

More than 17 billion catalogs were mailed in the U.S. last year — about 56 for every American.

In the U.S., catalogs account for 3% of the roughly 80 million tons of paper products used annually.

Much of what used to be done through the mail, including bill payments and personal correspondence, is now handled electronically.

The average U.S. catalog retailer reported mailing about 21 million catalogs in 2007, sending out a new edition every 26 days.

Only 1.3% of those catalogs generated a sale

The paper typically used in catalogs contains about 10% recycled content, according to industry consultant RISI. That is far less than paper in general, which typically contains about 30% recycled content.

Consumers who received catalogs from a retailer spent 28% more on that retailer’s Web site than those who didn’t get a catalog.

Jeff’s article includes some clear insight on the topic. As the title of his article “Marketers Still Prefer a Paper Trail” implies:

But catalogs pay. Like so many environmental initiatives, from solar energy to hybrid cars, reducing the impact of catalogs runs into economic realities that favor the old way of doing things.

But there is hope and that is where Catalog Choice comes in. First, consumers who want to slow the flow of unwanted catalogs can use our service to opt-out. Now that we are two years into our effort, our systems are honed and we are efficiently delivering and verifying that the mailer will honor consumer requests to over 1,000 mailers.

Jeff notes:

The catalog industry says it is working hard to reduce the environmental impact of its mailings, by pushing retailers to increase their reliance on recycled paper and by making it easier for consumers to opt out of mailings they don’t want to receive.

But we have to do more than just close down a channel. In order to facilitate significant change in the direct mail industry, viable digital alternatives need to emerge. Jeff clearly describes the vision behind our iCatalog program following a lenghty call with me.

Jeff writes:

Chuck Teller, executive director of Catalog Choice, is working on an idea that could wean catalog retailers away from paper-based marketing without hurting their businesses. His “iCatalog” aims to adapt the accessibility of a paper catalog to the digital realm. Using an online widget that consumers can install on a personal Web page or social-networking site, Catalog Choice continually updates and customizes retailers’ product selections.

This is where you come in. We need you to use the iCatalogs and give us your feedback. What works; what needs improving? Collect your favorite brands and build your list of favorites for the coming holiday. When you are ready to buy, click through to the brands web site from the Buy Now link in the iCatalog. Each retailer provides a small percentage of the sales price back to Catalog Choice, which helps us fund our free mail preference service.

Then and Now…Catalog Choice Celebrates its Second Anniversary!

April — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:09:15 +0000

Today, Catalog Choice celebrates its second anniversary. We thought it would be fun and informative to reflect back on our beginnings in 2007 and compare things to how they look now.

Then: Before Catalog Choice, there was no free, title-specific service that let you reduce unwanted mail.

Now: With Catalog Choice on the scene, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) dropped its fee and dramatically improved its service DMAChoice. More convenient choices for the consumer.

Then: We didn’t have a lot of friends in the direct marketing world.

Now: We’ve gained the trust of not only the consumer, but also the industry. We have strong supporters, including some of the biggest mailers around (L.L. Bean, Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma). We are endorsed by the American Catalog Mailers Association.

Then: We had two ways to deliver mail preference requests (email and file).

Now: Today, we have five secure methods to ensure that each and every request we receive from you is delivered.

Then: It was all opt-out.

Now: Our service provides a way for consumers to request a catalog or decrease frequency of a mailing, if offered by the company. Consumers can also sign up for a company’s email newsletter through a subscription service we offer to mailers.

Then: It was just catalogs.

Now: We’re adding other forms of mail, including coupons, credit card offers, and phone books. Look for upcoming changes to the service to help you opt-out of these forms of mail easily.

Then: When we launched we had 600 catalogs in our service.

Now: Today, we have nearly 1,056 titles in our system.

Then: By the end of 2007, we had about 350,000 individuals using Catalog Choice, requesting to stop the mailing of 4 million unwanted catalogs.

Now: Today, we’re a community of nearly 1.2 million members strong! On your behalf we have delivered more than 16 million opt-out requests. Thank you for your continued support and participation! We could not have done it without you.

It’s a Fine Day for Consumer Choice

April — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:53:05 +0000

Today is an important day for consumer choice. October marks the beginning of the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) enforcement of a new labeling provision. This guideline states that a DMA marketer must provide existing and prospective customers and donors with notice of how to eliminate or modify direct mail solicitations from their organization. That means that catalogs, credit card offers, and nonprofit fund raising appeals all need to state how you as the consumer can opt-out or reduce frequency of the mailing. The notice needs to appear in every marketing offer and it must be “easy to read, find, understand, and act upon.” This provision is part of DMA’s Commitment to Consumer Choice (CCC) that was announced two years ago, about the same time that Catalog Choice appeared on the scene. The CCC program and notice policy apply to DMA members, but all mailers are encouraged to comply.

We all know how convenient and effective labeling rules can be. Whether it’s a printed warning on a cigarette packet about smoking’s health hazards, the listing of trans fat on a food label, or a recycling logo on packaging, labels inform our choices and empower our actions. We are hoping that you’ll see more Catalog Choice logos printed on catalogs and that marketers will make mail preference choices more visible and convenient on their websites.

And here’s where you can help. Look at the catalogs you receive this month and through the holidays. Can you easily find the notice for how to modify or eliminate the mailing? Is it easy to read and understand? Let us know which companies are doing a good job and which ones need improvement. We’ll pass on the results of your findings to mailers and the DMA. Thanks for your help!

One of the 25 Ways to Green America

Chuck — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:28:43 +0000

Thanks to Green America (formerly Co-op America) for publishing information about Catalog Choice in their Spring 2009 Quarterly Magazine. They feature our service as part of their featured list of 25 ways to green the world. Co-op Amercia was founded 25 years ago on the belief that all of us in our economic roles – as consumers, investors, workers, and business owners – can work together through economic channels to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.

Green America’s vision for the next 25 years is for us to join together to rapidly deploy their 25 strategies across the economy, so that the marketplace and our society completes the shift to green by the middle of the century.

You can read the entire article here, starting on page 8. You will find Catalog Choice in item 17 – Be WoodWise.

Can White Pages Go Green?

Chuck — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 05:21:58 +0000

Did you know that many states require telephone companies to deliver the White pages to your home? The folks at Whitepages.com released the results of a survey indicating that over 80% of people are willing to do without a local phonebook when told how many trees are used to produce it. While there is a little debate about the number of trees used to produce phone books (see the comments on their blog), the fact is that consumers deserve a choice about whether they get a phone book or not.

So what is necessary to give consumers the ability to opt-in to getting the white pages? Like many things, some laws have to be changed. There is something that you can do about it. Head over to Banthephonebook.org and sign their petition.

Thanks to NPR for running a short segment on this.

I can’t remember the last time I used the white pages to look up a phone number. Can you?

A digital alternative: introducing the iCatalog

Chuck — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:39:08 +0000

When convincing a direct marketer to reduce the volume of catalog mailings for the good of the environment, it is very helpful to have an alternative for them to consider. Today, Catalog Choice is launching a digital alternative to the paper catalog, the iCatalog. The iCatalog has been designed for the Internet and Mobile platforms from the ground up. It is easy to use (no manual required) and designed for sharing.

The iCatalog:

lets you browse products from your favorite retailers in the privacy of your digital home – your computer’s desktop, your personalized homepage (iGoogle, MyYahoo, etc.), your Facebook page, or your secure Catalog Choice account.
lets you build a collection of your favorite retailers all in one spot
provides real time updates from retailers on new products, special deals and closeout sales, without inundating your email inbox
lets you share your discoveries with friends via email, bookmarks and messages in your favorite social network.
lets you go entirely paperless, saving natural resources and having fun at the same time.

Let’s take a closer look at an iCatalog from one of our launch partners, Crate&Barrel. Roll your cursor over the widget below and you’ll see a series of category tiles that correspond to the major product categories at Crate&Barrel’s website. Click the blue arrow > to see the other categories. It is summertime, so let’s check out what is available in the Outdoor Living category. To make your browsing easy, each category is divided into various subcategories shown in a convenient list view. Let’s take a look at the Bristol family of products. Now you can quickly browse through the products by using the right or left arrows (< >) along the product strip. At any time, you can skip back to another category by using the breadcrumbs located in the upper right hand portion of the screen. See something you like, click Save and a copy is saved to My List or Buy Now to go directly to the product page at www.Crateandbarrel.com. Want to share you discovery with a friend, select Share and send a quick email with a link to your find.

The best part about the iCatalogs are that you can put them on your desktop or your personal homepage. I am an avid iGoogle user. I visit my iGoogle page throughout the day to get headline news, weather, stock information. Now, I have set up my iCatalogs page, so I can shop from the privacy of my digital home. Here is what my personal shopping page looks like. You can add this set of iCatalogs to your iGoogle page by clicking here (it comes with the cityscape).

We will be building many more iCatalogs in the weeks and months ahead. Let us know what you think and who else we should add to the iCatalog gallery. If you are a retailer and you are interested in getting your own iCatalog, contact us at team(at)catalogchoice.org.

Proceeds generated from iCatalogs help us fund our free mail preference service.

The Growth of Product Eco-Labels: Clarity or Confusion?

Chuck — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:39:10 +0000

We know that when many of you shop you look for products that are clean, green, organic, and efficient. As more and more green products enter the marketplace, a growing number of environmental labels are popping up to validate eco-friendly traits.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal spotlights the growth and validity of these eco-seals. “As green marketing has proliferated, so has the number of ‘eco-labels’ competing to be the environmental equivalent of a Good Housekeeping seal of approval.” The article states that there are more than 300 such labels putting a green stamp on everything from cosmetics and seafood to bird-friendly coffee. Is the result helping consumers or creating confusion? Both, it turns out. The federal government may need to play a stronger role in shaping eco standards so consumers can trust green marketing promises. To read the entire article here.

Here’s a sampling of some of the many environmental offerings available through our participating Catalog Choice merchants:

Blue Canoe: Organically grown cotton clothing – all made in the U.S.A.
Crate & Barrel: An assortment of ecologically harvested and FSC certified outdoor and indoor furniture
Cuddledown: Many certified eco-friendly items from towels, sheets, blankets and sleepwear
Fair Indigo: Full line of fair trade clothing and jewelry and fashionable organics
Fetch Dog: Eco-friendly dog supplies from dog beds to leashes to toys
Garnet Hill: Organic cotton clothing, bath accessories, and sleepwear
Johnny’s Selected Seeds: A variety of organic seeds and tools to help organic growing
REI: A variety of outdoor gear made from recycled fibers
The Y Catalog: Organic yoga and fitness clothes, beauty products, and eco-friendly yoga mats
UncommonGoods: An assortment of handmade, recycled, and organic merchandise