Integrated Relationship Management

OBJECTIVE:
A global consumer packaged goods manufacturer wanted to increase market share in several product categories by generating trial, increasing usage frequency, and improving consumer retention across multiple brands. The company also wanted to qualify new, cost-efficient direct-to-consumer marketing methods in a period of media fragmentation. More specifically, they sought to determine which interactive marketing tactics—web sites, online advertising, e-mails, Internet coupons, etc—delivered the highest returns on their investment.

CHALLENGES:
In order to rival well-established competitors whose direct-to-consumer marketing programs surpassed their own, this client needed to transition from limited direct-to-consumer relationship marketing ("CRM") to advanced CRM quickly. The company also hoped to avoid the common mistake of over-spending on technology and infrastructure. They soon realized that their traditional agency partners could not capably take them there.

SOLUTION:
E-centives developed a comprehensive integrated marketing program built around several of our client's brands and designed to build valuable consumer relationships. The program included brand web sites as the primary relationship gateway a dynamically-generated, segmented and customized e-mail newsletter, Internet coupons targeted according to consumer attributes (e.g. product usage and category interest), ongoing online surveys, interactive games, and online sweepstakes. E-centives crafted the program strategy and tactical execution, which involved competitive analysis, content and creative services, co-marketing and strategic partnership development, data collection and management, as well as ROI modeling and ongoing program analysis.

RESULTS:
In-store purchases, survey results and reporting revealed that consumers exposed to the integrated marketing program were more aware of the company's various brands and preferred them to competitor brands, particularly among the e-mail newsletter subscribers. In addition, based on coupon redemption tracking, the program significantly impacted purchase intent and actual purchases and there was measurable cross-sell activity.

The multi-brand program also allowed the company's different brands to share program costs, thus reducing each individual brand's total cost. Most importantly, the program enabled the creation of a large consumer database for our client, an asset that can now be used for market research, new product introductions, message testing and other marketing initiatives.

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