[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] i7, the online and broadband arm of the Seven Television Network, has signed a network
agreement and exclusive partnership with the Australian Liquor Group (ALG), to add the liquor
retailer to its e-commerce strategy.
ALG will join i7’s newly launched online store icanshop.i7.com.au, as part of i7’s focus on
bringing together clicks-and-mortar retailers to deliver goods and services rather than creating a
massive shopping portal composed of e-tailers. i7 also wants to use this site to create
opportunities for merchandise related to content on both i7 and on Seven.
As part of the agreement, i7 will nationally promote ALG’s Philip Murphy Wine & Spirits site,
pmwine.com.au. In return, this site will display the i7 navigation bar and give users access to
the network.
ALG managing director Philip Murphy believed the deal and the promotion on i7 it involves would
“give us the enormous benefits of exposure to consumers who are not currently aware of our
Web site.”
“We expect to see a substantial increase in new business nationally, because
of the national
network capabilities of i7,” said Murphy.
i7 chief operating officer Grant Dempsey said that the site’s strategy aimed to avoid a
“mega-shopping portal and fulfilment solution,” and maintained the icanshop site would claim a
differentiator with its strategy of bringing together clicks-and-mortar retailers and promoting
online shopping on i7 and Seven.
While i7 maintains this strategy will provide an edge, pmwine.com.au is certain of the boost the
exposure will provide for its own e-commerce strategy. A key part of this plan is to offer free
delivery of online orders to all mainland capital cities, within 24 hours of ordering. It is this focus
on fulfillment i7 was drawn to and the kind of capability it intends to promote with icanshop.
The companies will use their respective member lists as the basis of joint marketing activities,
and intend to develop through the alliance ‘contextual commerce’, or the integration of online
product information and relevant content. i7 intends to adopt this strategy throughout its
network, linking products to core content on news, sports and entertainment.