From simple beginnings GLI's CD catalog evolved into a comprehensive and Complete library of company sales literature.

The CD evelved in response to economics, but also in response to feedback from company representatives and customers.

In its final form, GLI's CD contained:

A complete 200-page product catalog

Eighty Manuals

A Library of Application Notes & Technical Bulletins

Web Links

For GLI's Reps, the CD had:

A library of electronic images. The same files GLI used for press releases, small enough to e-mail as attachments, but still publication quality.

Each image existed in two forms:

CMYK TIF: The preferred format for four-color publishing

RGB JPEG: A compressed file using the RGB color model required for use on the Web.

The CD was self-starting and required no software installation, so no special knowledge was needed to run the CD.

It was also user updateable through a web link, which provided GLI with updated contact information.

The CD was controlled In-house, and updated annually.

It reached more customers and informed them better, with reduced cost.

The CD was revised annually to accommodate new documents, and features were added with each revision. Simplified navigation, addition of manuals, and links to GLI’s web site are all examples of improvements that were implemented as a result of comments from the field.

GLI's CD-ROM catalog was developed using Adobe Acrobat. Saving all of GLI's key documents as PDF files made it possible to link them together through menus and to create a self-initializing disc.

But producing GLI's CD took much more than a collection of PDF files.

First, a budget and production schedule were developed. Outsourced production services were quoted. A cover design and printing costs were also taken into account.

Careful planning and scheduling were required to assure that the CD contained no broken links, and that it accurately mirrored the company's 200-page printed catalog.

Menu pages and product comparison matrices were designed to facilitate navigation.

The CD was self-starting and required no software installation. No special knowledge was needed to run the CD.

The CD contained a complete 200 page product catalog, but that wasn't all. The CD also contained a library of Application Notes and Technical Bulletins.

The CD was controlled In-house, and updated annually.

GLI's CD ROM Catalog significantly reduced the company's marketing costs.

Since the primary sales-support document was a three-ring bound catalog that weighed three pounds, the cost of producing one catalog was approximately $17.00. Adding postage brought the overall cost to over 20 dollars per prospect, with peak distribution exceeding 1000 catalogs per month.

Since literature costs represented a large portion of the Marketing budget, reducing this expense was a major innitiative.

At 77 cents each, GLI's CD was a huge success.

Since the CD was less expensive to produce, it could be distributed to a larger market. Unlike the Catalog, the CD also functioned as a stand-alone self-mailer.

The CD reached more customers and informed them better, with reduced cost.

• GLI's CD Catalog was designed with multiple navigation schemes.

“Bookmarks” enabled those familiar with the product line to jump directly to the desired information.

• TABs imitate the tabs in GLI’s product catalog, and the categories are the same. Each tab links to a product comparison matrix where the user can browse to a product by isolating the features they want.