The Distinguished Marketers’ Award Don won for this catalog was based on a unique organization he created and used for all six United Visual catalogs.

1. Buyers’ guide features. Each guide explains the basic information a novice would need to make an intelligent selection of a particular type of gear. Click to view the guides Don wrote (as they appear today on United Visual’s website).

2. Comparison charts. Research Don did indicated customers’ frustration trying to compare similar gear from different manufacturers. He included a large number of comparison charts: very detailed, but organized so the most important specs came first.

3. Individual product descriptions. Using the same research, Don created a format that made it easy to compare similar products within a given line and between competing product lines.

Click for United’s online catalog, which uses a product description format based on these copy and comparision chart innovations.

4. Customer application stories. The biggest problem a dealer has in a catalog is building his own brand value (as opposed to the various brands he includes). Don ran a short customer story with each major product spread (19 total), greatly enhancing the United Visual name and building United’s credibility with new customers.

Click for similar (though longer) customer stories on United's website.

For the same reason, Don included three brochures as inserts in the front of the catalog, filled with customer photos of installed AV systems, videoconferencing systems and rental events.

This catalog was the latest in a series of 19 printed catalogs Don produced as marketing manager at United Visual and Midwest Visual.