At the end of every December, we look at the thousands of catalogs that were published on ZOOMcatalog between January and December 2021. Then we calculate the most viewed catalogs and assemble a list to share with you. We did that this year like we do every year, but 2021 was unique. 

So before we celebrate the top 20 catalogs of 2021, we want to celebrate you. This last year was full of supply chain issues, product prices in a constant state of flux, and a general struggle to keep stock on the shelves. These challenges were not easily overcome, but you faced them head-on and came up with unique and innovative solutions.  

Original digital content – whether catalogs, flyers, or themed niche lookbooks – helped our industry overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Regardless of all the uncertainty of the last year, one thing was absolutely certain – creativity and determination, when combined with the right tools, can overcome anything.

This last caveat is for the data nerds out there (the rest of you can scroll on past if you haven’t already). We found some really interesting trends as we assembled the numbers for this year:

• These catalogs had about 40% more views than the top catalogs from 2020. That means even more people are using digital catalogs.
• When looking at the top viewed catalogs, offering customizable catalogs through ZOOMcustom resulted in 100% more traffic.
• All combined, these catalogs had over 5,000,000 views!

The 20 most viewed ZOOMcatalogs in 2021 are…

20. SanMar’s The North Face

19. Delta Apparel

18. S&S Activewear’s Summer Style Guide

17. Prime Line’s Gift Guide

16. bugatti

15. Peerless Umbrella

14. The Magnet Group Branded Solutions

13. Founder Sport Group’s Main Catalog

12. Perry Ellis’s Corporate Apparel

11. SanMar’s Carhartt

10. SanMar’s New, Newer, Newest

9. Blue Generation’s Blue & Beyond

8. S&S Activewear’s What’s New

7. Perry Ellis’s Callaway Corporate Apparel

6. Augusta Sportswear Brands

5. Hit Promo’s New Product Guide

4. SanMar’s 2021 Essentials

3. Lungsal PPE & Pens

2. alphabroder’s Essential Apparel

1. SanMar’s Apparel, Bags, and Caps

HONORABLE MENTIONS

While pouring over the data, we found some really interesting stats we wanted to callout:

1. PenCarrie UK – was the top-ranking company from the UK
2. Kaiser & Blair’s Best Buys – was the top-ranking buying group
3. S&S Canada – was the top-ranking catalog specifically for the Canadian market

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CATALOG TRAFFIC

What are the next steps? What will happen with 2022? How do we continue to move forward?

Paper shortages and supply chain issues will continue to wreak havoc on the promotional products industry. New generations of buyers are coming through the ranks, and they are looking for a different way to buy. These changes won’t stop, and they won’t slow down. Having an effective digital strategy will help suppliers and distributors stay relevant and grow. 

Here are some tips to make the most of your digital marketing strategy:

• Mix Media: Incorporate product videos, live demos, and other motion in your marketing mix. These can be embedded directly into ZOOMcatalogs for quick reference. 
• Check Your Keywords: Updating key search terms will help users find your content faster and allow it to be featured. Don’t forget variations on words and their synonyms! It’s promo, promotional, swag, give away, giveaways, etc., etc… 
• Teach Your Users: Train your sales reps, top customers, and marketing pros on how to use the tools available to them. (Drop us a line if you want us to host a training session!)
• Embrace the Niche: Create smaller themed catalogs to increase searchability and expand your coverage. 
• Consider the End-Buyer: When you design your catalog with the end-buyer in mind, distributors will be more inclined to customize your catalog and share it throughout the year.