Two recent retailer-focused articles, one from the UK and one from the US, give weight to the Australasian Catalogue Association's recent gung-ho supplement to its Catalogue Industry Report.

Here are two examples of stores whose strategies, and use of rich content, we just love - because selling needs to be more than just product and price.

One is seemingly a content driven site with a store attached. 

The other is a well planned, well positioned "outdoorsy" online store that has a small bricks and mortar presence. And it uses catalog(ue)s plus a good dose of content to promote its wares.

We've seen and written a lot lately about the resurgence of catalogues (not surprising really, given we are a catalogue design company!). The Multichannel Merchant Outlook 2014 study last year gave even more credence to the proposition that catalogues today continue to be a strongly relevant medium.

Should we expect fireworks if Millennials and Boomers were to meet for a bite? Some shin scarring kicks beneath the table perhaps?

As reported in the Wall St Journal and NPR Two-Way, J.C. Penny recently announced their return to catalog marketing after an absence of 5 years.

A recently published marketing study titled "Myth of the Mansumer" might have you thinking the marketing gap between men and women is narrowing. But we're not sure their statistics (while interesting when taken in isolation) are all that conclusive.

This is NOT one of those articles full of predictions for the coming year. Frankly, with so much happening in the world of retail, marketing and catalogue design (our area), we find trying to stay on top of all the trends such articles suggest we should be on top of, all a bit daunting. If not downright intimidating.

The annual ACA (Australian Catalogue Association) industry report just hit our desks. It contains fresh insights garnered from research by Roy Morgan, PwC's Entertainment and Media Outlook, Nielsen, Australia Post and other sources.

If you're a marketer who is looking at how to create more web traffic; or how to create more consumer engagement; or how multi-channel marketing can increase your ROI, it's well worth an in-depth read.

But for now, here are some top-line highlights - these are metrics you may not be receiving from your traditional media planner.

Mums are changing.

We've been reading and thinking a lot about this recently. 

Drawing an absolute conclusion from the incredible amount of data that is pouring in is a bit like trying to put a saddle on a galloping horse.

Can I name drop here?

Not long ago I had lunch with Direct Marketing Hall of Famer, Seth Godin. 

Admittedly there were about 1,499 others at the Business Chicks lunch (yes, they even let some lucky men in, too) but I felt like Seth was talking to me and we were getting along famously. I was a member of his "Tribe". Coincidentally (not!), Tribes were what Seth wanted to talk about that day.

A prediction of direct mail's continuing relevance from an unusual source.

Seemingly unstoppable, digital marches on and bricks and mortar crumble in its path. Wait on, that's a myth!