American Diabetes Association Moves Catalog From Print to Digital

In an effort to better focus resources on diabetes research, education, and advocacy, the American Diabetes Association announced  (opens in a new tab) this week that it will move its print catalog associated with its consumer-facing ShopDiabetes.org  (opens in a new tab) e-commerce website to an online platform.

ADA partnered with Catalogs.com to create a dynamic, responsive-design platform known as Dynalog.

“We discovered that the program the catalog supported was not benefiting the organization financially as much as we wanted it to,” said Jill Ammon, director of digital marketing and e-commerce at ADA. “We didn’t see it as a good use of our donor dollars any longer, and we wanted to be able to put that money toward efforts in which we could see a more positive ROI.”

The switch has benefits beyond saving money, Ammon noted. “What I think is really cool about it is, first of all, is that it’s very easy to use,” she said. “It enabled us to produce a catalog within days versus the older process which would normally take months.”

The platform will also enable more flexibility in how ADA products are marketed. “We’re able to make customized catalogs using filtered data,” Ammon said. “So, if we have 15 different categories of products, in theory we could make 15 different mini-catalogs and then larger catalogs based on how we want to merchandize our products.”

The new digital approach taps into consumer behavior trends, especially the rise of mobile, she added. “It works on mobile devices, it works on regular desktop devices, etc.” she said.  “When you’re marketing something, especially today, you have to remember that people don’t just use one channel any longer. They like to see things in multiple ways, through multiple channels.”

Adopting that consumer mindset is important for organizations making strategic moves like the print-to-digital switch, Ammon noted.

“When you’re deciding on where to put your money and how to invest in certain channels, it’s important to remember that all channels work together,” she said. “The switch certainly worked to our advantage. If groups keep that in mind, they shouldn’t have anything to be wary of when making this kind of move.”

(PR Newswire)