Reaching Your Customer-- Solutions and Tools
By Sieglinde Friedman
This year's content-rich educational offerings at ERA's eRetailer Summit, March 2-4 at the InterContinental Hotel in Miami, are focused entirely on tools and solutions for retailers and marketers.
Clearly, there is glut of cutting-edge programming being offered across the professional map. ERA's direct response niche, however, concentrates on television, radio, mobile and the Internet. It has been noted in numerous press pieces that while there are many conferences on digital channels, "the DRTV medium ERA represents has been hugely amplified by newer channels such as search, mobile and other mediums." In fact, ERA recognizes that there is a 48-percent growth in online sales versus only seven percent in stores. The trends supporting that growth include rich imaging and robust Internet applications, product configurations and 24/7 convenience and customer service.
Further, in an ERA-commissioned study on The Evolving Role of Direct Response Television in Multichannel Marketing Execution, the data shows that DRTV continues to grow as a marketing medium, and has evolved into a driver of multichannel marketing. More significant, in order to make DRTV profitable on the front-end, DRTV marketers are accelerating their adoption and customization of emerging technologies, especially in the interactive sphere.
Embracing the ever-changing multichannel evolution, ERA is pleased to offer a luncheon keynote on Monday, March 3, presented by YouTube. More than just teenagers and 20-somethings flock to YouTube. The fast-growing video-sharing site also wins viewers from the country's largest media companies. This keynote will offer an inside look at how online video is reshaping the way consumers consider their world.
ERA is also offering four channel-neutral sessions, which are designed specifically for practitioners in the direct-to-consumer environment addressing a wide spectrum of topics, including:
- Earning Attention with Video;
- Creating a Successful Blog Marketing Program;
- Optimizing Customer Experience in an Online World; and
- Understanding Your Consumer to Serve Them Well.
Representatives from the following state-of-the-art companies will be sharing their expertise with attendees: Ogilvy Public Relations, Brightcove, Avenue A/Razorfish, HSN, Fandango, Footlocker, eFashion Solutions, Cisco, QVC, Oreck and Hewlett-Packard, among many others. The sessions will be interactive with time at the conclusion of each seminar for participants to network directly with the speakers.
Additionally, ERA has commissioned a new research paper by the Forrester Group, the results of which will be presented on Tuesday March 4, at 4:00 p.m. This study examines how consumers are purchasing products online, offline and in stores, and how they are using television, Internet and radio mediums to do so. It will include consumer behaviors, the needs and wants of multichannel purchasers, how they shop, the role of different elements in the marketing mix, and how retailers can profitably and effectively market to them using the different channels.
The eRetailer Summit is the gateway to direct-to-consumer commerce; this conference is committed to ensuring that each attendee leaves not only with new business contacts, but with new tools and solutions to increase sales, enhance best practices and offer a tangible return on investment.
Sieglinde Friedman is ERA's vice president, board and strategy. She can be reached at (703) 908-1021, or via e-mail at sfriedman@retailing.org.
