SKU Group Family Structure
SKU Groups are families of items featuring the same Selling Points and Selling Copy. Though differences (in color, size, materials, certifications, accessories, etc.) may exist between items within a Group, those differences are accounted for in separate Rich Content areas (such as: Warranty Info, Green/Recycled Info, Extended Attributes/Sales Specs, Compliance/Standards, Package Includes, etc.)
SKU Group Family Content Purpose & Format
Print Copy (Short Selling Copy) goes to Catalogs. Selling Points and Digital Copy (Medium Selling Copy) go to the web. They can differ regarding product features and overall message.
When updating or refreshing SKU Group level content, please do not include Extended Attribute values (Product Specs), Green/Recycled info, Warranty info, Package Includes statements or anything else that is captured in another Rich Content area. Remember: SKU Group data must hold true for all items within a specific Group and redundancies may cause contradictions.
2016 Web Syndication
Selling Points 1-10 (bullet points)
- Selling Points are formatted sentence case (with ending periods). There is no hard and fast rule, but keeping each bullet point to about 120 characters (including spaces) may be wise. The average person should be able to read a bullet at a glance.
- Selling Points do not have to be complete sentences. Fragments (incomplete phrases and clauses) are not only acceptable but preferred.
- Generally speaking, no more than the first three or four Selling Points are picked up and published on most Retailer sites. Please keep that in mind when you organize your Selling Points.
Digital Copy (Medium Selling Copy)
- Digital Copy is formatted sentence case to AP Style, and it should read exactly as you would like to see your copy appear on the web during 2016.
- Space is not a concern, but ideally, this paragraph should not incorporate more than six-to-ten sales/marketing points. Keep in mind that though the average consumer may be interested enough to read more on the web, they may not be prepared to read more than one might find in an average-length paragraph.
2017 Catalogs
Print Copy (Short Selling Copy)
- Print Copy is formatted sentence case to AP Style, and it should read exactly as you would like to see your copy appear in a catalog or flier during 2017.
- Space is a concern. A good rule to follow for Print Copy is to develop your most important selling points into one to three sentences. There is no hard and fast rule, but for most product categories, Print Copy does not exceed 250 characters (including spaces).
Family Image (SKU Group Image)
- Your “Hero” image. This image will represent all items within the group when your items appear in print.
- Regarding image choice, some suppliers choose a separate (brand new) image that represents all of the individual items in the group; other suppliers choose one item’s main or alt image to represent the whole family. It’s really up to the supplier…whichever strategy works best for you is best.
Essendant Extended Attributes Definitions
Click here to download a spreadsheet of Essendant's extended attributes and their definitions.