New solution aims to help retailers achieve efficiencies in the planning, creation and publication of promotions through multiple channels
Montreal — January 12, 2004 — Flow Systems Corp., a provider of promotion management solutions for retailers and distributors, has released its Retail Promotion Management Suite, designed to help retailers achieve efficiencies in the planning, creation and publication of promotions through such channels as print, Web, catalogs, flyers and store kiosks.
Retailers are increasing the number of targeted promotions to maximize revenues, Flow said, and at the same time they are emphasizing brand consistency in all marketing channels, which can burden existing resources.
Producing a single promotion is demanding enough, but the challenge increases when creating concurrent promotions in multiple versions, price zones and languages. Non-value-added tasks include finding the right data and engaging in multiple correction cycles. Retailers will struggle to produce these "weekly miracles" until new technologies are implemented, Flow asserted.
Responding to this need, Flow, a division of Mediagrif Interactive Technologies, said its Retail Promotion Management Suite, which will be available in April, comprises three solutions, including Print Promotion, Electronic Promotion and E-Content Solutions.
Print Promotions allows users to produce print catalogs, regional inserts/flyers, run on press (ROP) or targeted mini-catalogs, helping companies to create new promotions by reusing existing ones, strategically position products and ads on pages, and forecast sales and perform sales analysis.
Electronic Promotions helps users plan, execute and publish e-flyers on Web sites and through e-mail, allowing them to create electronic promotions from existing print promotions, design e-flyers without knowledge of HTML and assign promotion-specific ad codes to measure success rate.
E-Content Solutions lets companies export catalog content to e-commerce Web sites, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, in-store kiosks, wireless devices and more. Users can create electronic catalogs from print promotions and establish product relationships for cross/up selling products, and the solution supports unlimited product classifications and export formats, according to Flow.
The new solution is based on Flow's flagship product information management (PIM) technology, Flow Content Factory 6.0, and the provider's promotion and catalog management solutions.
Excelligence Learning Corp., a developer of educational products, is working with Flow to implement a promotion management solution to make its merchandisers more effective.
"Excelligence engaged with Flow Systems to implement a new system for managing our catalog and promotion management process, enabling our merchandisers to spend more time working on assortment plans, supplier negotiations and product development," said Cathy Adams, vice president of merchandising at Excelligence. "What we are impressed to see is that Flow is 'speaking our language', developing an easy to understand and use process for everyone on our merchandising team."
