Know-How Exchange : Strategy

To answer your questions in order:

1. Catalog Marketing can place a tangible object in a person's home for easy access and review. They can take it along with them to show other people.

2. Websites and/or Online catalogs will work against you do to the increasing number of online shopping and the ease of making an online order. Not to mention you have the luxury of potentially avoiding customs delays by being located out of the country (if indeed you are).

3. See above. Also, make sure you have appropriate and secure order processing and efficient distribution in place in order to maintain customer satisfaction.

4. I recommend contacting the British Herbal Medicine Association (BHMA) for detailed information on the regulations and practice of herbal meds in the UK. Here is their link: https://www.ex.ac.uk/phytonet/bhma.html

5. Keep in mind the basics and keep it simple. Research your target demographic, consider online versus catalog, study local laws regarding pharma products. Generaly Ayurvedic products are not considered "controlled substances" so you should not have any legal pitfalls.

Thanks and Good Luck!

Feel free to email anytime with more questions: jett_enterprises@cox.net

- what will they do for a customer list? Lists can be bought from brokers, but it's a competitive market, & they may not be able to purchase the most responsive lists.

- how much experience have they of geodemographic targeting - the UK is *very* sophisticated in this area because...

- postage is relatively expensive (& is paid up front) - it's worth measuring the contents & weight of a mailpack very carefully. Volumes & geographic concentration can make a big difference to postage discounts.

- the control pack from another marketplace is always a good starting point, but expect to test and change that pack.

- don't just think about direct/responsive media channels. PR & product placement have roles to play too.

Jett mentions The Law twice - you can't pay too much attention to it.

hth

Will Rowan

This might be useful for you:
https://www.ecmod.com/

Also you are probably aware of this anyway:

"The Innovations catalogue, famous for its weird and wonderful gadgets, is to close after almost 20 years, its owners said today.

The magazine, often distributed free with Sunday newspapers, became cult reading for anyone looking for unusual gifts.

However, following a review of its home shopping businesses, owners Great Universal Stores (GUS) decided that Innovations was "under-performing" and announced that the spring catalogue will be the last.

Around 30 staff employed at the Innovations offices in Wembley, north London, have been informed but may be offered other jobs within GUS companies, which include Argos.

GUS said in a statement: "We will be servicing orders from the Innovations catalogue until the end of July.

"We are reviewing options within the Argos Retail Group as to how the brand will be traded going forward."

Innovations was launched in 1985, and credits itself with pioneering such technological breakthroughs as the radio-controlled clock and the recharger that revitalises ordinary batteries.

The company says about itself: "We admire the amateur inventor toiling away in the garden shed, and when we come across a really clever idea that deserves a wider audience we are happy to provide advice on how to bring it to market."

Innovations was bought by GUS in 1997.
© Guardian Newspapers Limited"