We’re happy to see that the idea of a Tree-Free Catalog is picking up speed as retailers say goodbye to their beloved print in favor of digital.
To take things one step further, we also need to look at the environmental impact of hosting and serving digital content online. That’s why we partnered up with AWS to make sure we run our digital efforts on energy-efficient infrastructure.
Our story about the Tree-Free Catalog resonated with the Dutch media, so here it’s translated to share with you on our blog. Read on if you want to know more, including quotes from our very own CEO Guillermo.
AWS to Power the Tree-Free Catalog
Over the last decade, shopping has gone through a rapid digital transformation. Consumers can order products online with a single click while enjoying same-day delivery. However, there is one area where the adaptation of digital has been slow—the printed catalog. Millions of catalogs are still distributed yearly to inspire shoppers and help them discover new products and promotions. While discovery is a vital part of the shopping journey, these catalogs have a considerable impact on the environment.
Publitas helps retailers and brands to inspire shoppers with immersive online content experiences. Content that’s optimized to engage shoppers top-of-funnel and helps shoppers discover new products and promotions.
“People are not aware how many trees are cut down for catalogs. We want to help brands publish their catalogs online to meet the demands of the climate and at the same time consumers.” —Guillermo Sanchez, CEO Publitas.
Entire organizations, teams, and processes have been set up around delivering printed catalogs. But that’s changing:
“We have seen an organizational shift from print to online catalogs in the past five years because the printed version is too static, too expensive, and not ‘shareable’ in a digital world.” —Guillermo.
Using digital catalogs also helps retailers to become less dependent on their address database. With digital catalogs, they can publish in real-time, content is dynamic, and AI-automated processes unlock even more success. Reach has to come from online channels such as SEO, SEA, newsletters, etc. It’s easy to see that this transition from print to online can be difficult, and it can be a multi-year process for larger organizations.
More than just an advantage for retailers, Publitas thinks that online catalogs are good for the planet. Indeed, instead of sending out millions of paper catalogs, retailers and brands can use online catalogs to deliver an immersive experience to help shoppers discover new products and promotions.
“We think it is a win-win situation because it can help retailers save a large investment in print and helps them reach sustainability goals by reducing paper waste and emissions during distribution.” —Guillermo
On top of that, Publitas’ platform can help retailers progress during each step of transformation from print to digital. As retailers become more advanced with their Tree-Free Catalog, it can become a modern online experience that shoppers have come to expect. For example, buying directly from the catalog, or creating personalized catalogs based on the customers’ preferences using machine learning capabilities.
To develop an inspirational content experience for retailers, Publitas is using cloud pioneer AWS.
“Publitas has always set out to deliver experiences that are seamless, responsive, fast, and reliable. When looking at an IT provider, we had one keyword in mind: performance. We needed the best platform for our project, and this is why we started working with AWS.” —Guillermo.
It’s essential that when millions of shoppers interact with Publitas, the infrastructure can handle the load, ensuring that content is delivered fast and reliably. Global coverage and consistency are equally important, as a single second of delay can severely impact the experience for shoppers. Looking beyond technology, AWS is also the right partner for the Tree-Free catalog because of its commitment to run on 100% renewable energy.
“As Publitas fights to reduce print distribution throughout the world, AWS ensures that the catalogs are hosted on energy-efficient infrastructure.” —Guillermo
Are you interested in running a Tree-Free Catalog yourself? Contact us, or try our 14-day free trial.