Channel Intelligence Blog

Breaking News: Google Announces Google Shopping

Exciting news!! Google has just announced its new Google Shopping service. It promises to deliver an improved shopping experience for consumers and drive more sales to participating retailers. Google and CI are already working closely together to maximize client results.  

Read their announcement: Building A Better Shopping Experience

CI and Google will soon conduct a public webinar to share more about where Google Shopping is headed and how retailers can optimize their results. 

Please click here to request a webinar invite.

Please do not hesitate to contact CI or a member of your CI Boost™ team with any questions you may have. We are already working with our clients to maximize this incredible opportunity.

E-mail marketing is alive and well

There has been some speculation about whether or not social media is sounding the death knell for e-mail marketing. But according to recent conversations I've had, and the new E-mail Marketing Census 2012 from Econsultancy, the answer appears to be no. To the contrary, Econsultancy reports, "there is a growing belief that the two channels can actually work together."

I'm currently working with my colleague Alan Fulmer on content for an upcoming webinar about how brand marketers can prioritize the myriad digital touch points now available. We had a conversation earlier this week about whether or not e-mail is still a viable touch point. We agree that it is. Because despite the buzz about social media, the penetration still isn't enough to reach ALL your customers.

Long before we dialed into our AOL accounts over a 28.8 modem, I worked in the newspaper industry. And prior to that I was in broadcasting. In both businesses, we talked about how important it was for advertisers to have the proper "media mix." It was never realistic for an advertiser to commit the entire ad budget to print, because not everyone read the newspaper.

Back then (and by "back then" I mean in the '90s), you needed a mix of print, broadcast, direct mail, and maybe even outdoor if you really wanted to project your message to the largest audience. And what did advertisers get in return for all the money they spent across those channels?

No one really ever knew.

There was no meaningful way to track results. We didn't have measurable click-streams, visits and conversions. There was no such thing as targeting or re-targeting without a lot of human intervention, handwritten postcards and follow-up phone calls.

Current where-to-buy technology changes that because you can track activity from all digital touch points and have a clear picture of when and how leads convert to sales. But the concept of needing a media mix hasn't changed. You need to reach customers through Facebook, Twitter, display ads, blogs ... and yes, even through e-mail. And thanks to QR codes, it's possible to track activity from magazines, direct-mail, or anywhere else you can print one of those funny looking little squares.

E-mail marketing isn't going away any time soon. It's actually more viable than ever with the addition of trackable where-to-buy links.

Manufacturers drive online sales with where-to-buy

Once you know what "where-to-buy" is, you understand why so many people in the industry consider it to be an essential component for manufacturer websites.

If you work for a manufacturer that supports the retail channel, nothing makes more sense than taking ready-to-buy consumers directly from your product page to a retailer "buy page." And if you're a retailer, of course you are thrilled to participate in a program that sends you referrals from shoppers who already expressed a strong interest in a specific product.

You have to see a where-to-buy implementation in order to truly appreciate how it works. So let's look at a few examples of how manufacturers use the technology.

Tripp Lite is a leading manufacturer of products that power, connect and protect computers and other electronics. When you visit a Tripp Lite product page, click on the yellow "check prices" button and you will see CI Boost Where-to-Buy in action.

Visitors to the Black & Decker website are linked directly to retailer buy pages when they click the orange "buy now" button on product pages.

If you want to see additional examples or learn more about CI Boost Where-to-Buy, please feel free to e-mail me. I will put you in touch with one of my colleagues on either the CI manufacturer or retailer team, and we'll explain exactly how your business can benefit from deep-linking technology.