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ECRM® provides business solutions by integrating process, vision and technology. Comprised of Efficient Program Planning Sessions, a powerful website, and MarketGate Application Suite™ software, ECRM® is helping retailers and manufacturers improve sales, reduce expenses and go to market faster and more efficiently.
ECRM® has held more than 1,000 EPPS on 4 continents since its inception in 1994. Over 80 events were held in 2011 alone, with participation from over 1,000 retailers and over 3,000 manufacturers.
ECRM's internet-based software, MarketGate Application Suite™ is composed of powerful tools that can be used for EPPS® preparation, during the event and for meeting follow-up. Tools can also be used throughout the year to assist with the marketing and selling of products. MarketGate™ features include: Contact Manager, Scorecard Manager, Product Catalogue, Ad Comparisons and Event Manager.
EPPS category-specific events consist of one-on-one planning sessions scheduled between manufacturers, retailers and distributors to review new items, marketing initiatives and strategic direction. The EPPS category-specific events held throughout the year consistently make business processes more efficient as well as save attendees valuable time and money.
EPPS manufacturer attendees have one-on-one 20 (or 40) minute planning sessions with distributors and retailers that attends the EPPS event. Each manufacturer is given a hotel suite to set up products, displays and related materials. Meetings, which take place in the manufacturer's suite, can replace the sales presentation in the buyer's office.
Additional items on the EPPS event agenda...
Buyers Expo Power Hall*: Manufacturer products can be displayed in a buyer's only ballroom where buyers not only see the product but also read a marketing summary about the products. If a buyer is interested in the item, scan cards for that item are pulled and a report is generated from all the products of interest. After the event is over, retailers and manufacturers will receive recap reports including what products retailers were interested in.
*Not all EPPS events have a Buyers Expo Power Hall
General Sessions: Presentations given by leading professionals that are designed to review category performance discuss growth trends and explore innovative new ways to develop the category.
Evening Dinners and Events: Evening events are scheduled to bring both vendors and buyers together in a fun, relaxing environment, as well as provide a networking forum.
For manufacturers, EPPS is a highly effective forum, which will improve manufacturers' business, especially as it relates to middle and lower tier retailers. While a primary benefit of EPPS will be to improve sales, an even greater impact would result if you include your category development and brand people.
Prior to the event, ECRM inputs retailer new and promotional item forms into their proprietary software, MarketGate™, and also loads manufacturer color images and product information for the items, displays or planograms that manufacturers will be presenting.
At the event, your sales and marketing team present new items, promotional programs or marketing concepts. Retailers scan products or programs of interest and both parties document follow-up action required on MarketGate notepad computers.
After the event, each company is given a link to its own secured Meeting Follow-Up website where they may review meeting notes and download color images for items selected as well as product data to the retailer custom forms. You may give access to the site to your field representatives to streamline execution of programs.
Benefits for Manufacturers:
- Streamlines sales and marketing function to improve speed to market and execution of marketing strategies particularly with middle and lower tier retailers.
- Brand and category development people benefit from interfacing with an excellent cross section of retailers in a compressed and stimulating environment.
- The sessions at EPPS can take the place of meetings back in the office saving time & travel expense. Executives have the additional benefit of seeing mid size & smaller accounts they may not typically see on a personal basis.
- Marketing & Category development managers can lend their expertise to the trade while finding the proactive environment conducive to innovation.
- Senior level sales people may lend their talents to the development of programs while learning from the trade how their sales organization is performing.
- Manufacturers' sales are impacted positively as retail execution is improved.
For retailers and distributors, EPPS is an effective forum for the development of marketing strategies that is bringing significant benefits to leading retailer and consumer goods manufacturers such as Target, Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreen's, Ahold, HEB, Procter & Gamble and Unilever.
Prior to the event, manufacturers load color images and product data into ECRM's MarketGate™ software for the items they wish to present. ECRM will also input retailer new/promotional item forms and vendor set up forms.
At the event, senior level sales and marketing executives present new items and promotional programs to retailer buyers, category managers, DMM's and VP's in private one-on-one meetings, which take place in manufacturers suites. Retailers scan items of interest and both parties record pertinent information and follow-up action required on special notepad computers.
After the event, retailers and their buyers/category managers are given access to their own private secured Meeting Follow-Up website. Retailers can click on a manufacturer name to review...
- Retailer meeting notes
- Manufacturer meeting notes
- Items selected which include:
Marketing Information; color images, which may be downloaded for advertising; product data, which may be downloaded to retailer's custom new item forms. Forms are presented in PDF files so retailers may enter retails or other information prior to printing or downloading, as well as manufacturer contact information, including links to emails and phone numbers.
Benefits for Retailers & Distributors:
- Retail sales increase as the category focus facilitates development of improved programs.
- Buyers can see a majority of category suppliers at one time and in one place.
- The event environment is conducive to the involvement of senior level retail managers with the buyers/category managers, enhancing sales as well as individual performance.
- Category Manager/Buyer's time is favorably impacted because the event and online tools can eliminate appointments back in the office and redundancy in the processes.
- The proactive environment of the planning sessions helps to breed creativity and innovation.
ECRM is more than just the EPPS Events...ECRM-Online and ECRM's internet-based software, MarketGate, used throughout the year, can assist with the marketing and selling of products and bring efficiency to the consumer goods sales and marketing supply chain. By attending an EPPS Event, attendees are given access to the secured areas of the website including Meeting Follow-Up, Ad Comparisons, Product Catalogue, Contact Manager & Scorecard Manager.
Meeting Follow-Up
EPPS event attendees us the Meeting Follow-Up area of the site to facilitate execution of marketing strategies discussed at the show. Review meeting notes, action dates as well as marketing information. Retailers and manufacturers may download product data into custom new item forms, acquire images for advertising, and communicate with each other via email links.
Ad Comparisons/Promotions
A tool to view promotional ads from over 250 retailers in over 100 major markets across the U.S. and Canada. A Comprehensive database, Efficient Ad Comparisons contains powerful search and analytic reporting tools covering print promotions, web based and email promotions as well as FSI's that are scanned daily. Used by over 250 chains and over 1,000 manufacturers, EAC is a great way to check out the competition.
Product Catalogue
ECRMs proprietary software designed to streamline the sales and marketing function. Manufacturer product data and color images can be downloaded directly into retailer custom new item forms. PDF files of forms created can be reviewed, edited and then printed and downloaded.
New Items and Promotions
Manufacturers post new items and promotions on our site. Retailers can go to the site and download color images and product data to their custom new item forms.
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