Of appeal to readers of all ages are the World Atlas and coffee table books such as Return to Midway, Everest, and How Things Work. In addition, he oversees the distribution of the National Geographic Society catalog that has become so popular because of its unique gift items. However, it's a tougher call for Anastasio and his group to pinpoint who will buy from the catalog because it appeals to such a broad audience. He has the technical understanding to bridge the gap between technology and marketing techniques. He can communicate that to our different departments.
Marketers appeal to potential customers in subtle ways.
The use of different colored envelopes, stickers, testimonials, and premiums are just some of the factors that can entice a customer to respond, he explains. Through sophisticated statistical analysis, Anastasio's staff determines what type of customer responds to what kind of stimulus, and targets the market accordingly. It's common for Anastasio's department to send out a million marketing pieces to get a response of about 25,000. We strategize with the marketing and finance departments and come up with a scorecard. We want to tilt the odds in our favor.