How do you make a molehill out of a mountain?

Just because you have tons of products doesn't mean you need tons of sales collateral. Ariat International is a leading brand of equestrian footwear and apparel with a dealer base of more than 3,000 stores. Lots of dealers means lots of sales calls. And lots of sales calls means good sales collateral. Unfortunately, Ariat didn't have any. Or rather, they had too much.

Before we began working with the brand, each sales rep hit the road with a complicated kit of selling materials. Selling a single season's line required a half-dozen different catalogs, workbooks, flyers and price lists. Some of these looked great. Others didn't do the brand justice.

We streamlined the brand's sales collateral program to help reps sell in the line with fewer, harder-working pieces. Two workbooks (one for apparel, one for footwear) present the entire line. Product-level information is detailed but easy to read. Products are organized into collections based on how the products are merchandised at retail. And for the first time, the workbooks include color images of the complete line, both carry-over and new products.

With more than 1,200 footwear SKUs alone, the books are still a beast. But good design makes them easier to use, less expensive to produce and a better ambassador of a premium brand that leads its industry.

© 2008 Satellite Design