New York City-based NetGrocer Inc.,
a nationwide online grocery shopping service, signed a two-year advertising
agreement with Excite Inc. to be the
exclusive supermarket featured throughout Excite.com.
“NetGrocer appreciates the unique marketing value of tapping into Excite’s
large and growing audience base and multiplicity of channels. Likewise, we
believe the techno-savvy consumers who take advantage of Excite’s search and
directory services every day will appreciate the unique shopping convenience
that NetGrocer offers them,” said Daniel Nissan, NetGrocer president and CEO.
NetGrocer delivers non-perishable groceries to homes and offices within two
to four business days through FedEx. Competitively priced brand name
products are available, along with a variety of value brand items often
priced 30% to 60% less. Shipping rates start at just $2.99 for orders under
$50 and $4.99 for orders over $50.
“This agreement with NetGrocer extends our promise to consistently provide
the best of content to Excite customers who both understand and demonstrate
the value of e-commerce every day,” said Brett Bullington, executive Excite
vice president.
Separately, NetGrocer launched a direct-marketing channel called the
NetGrocer Consumer Direct Network (CDN), offering access to market research
and partnerships to promote products at the NetGrocer site.
“Rather than gambling on scattershot mass marketing on TV or even relatively
refined point-of-purchase promotions at real-time supermarkets, CDN partners
can shape their communications, promotions and marketing efforts online to
precisely fit individual shoppers–whose privacy is completely
protected–in ways never before possible,” Nissan said.
While all contact goes through NetGrocer to protect customer privacy,
marketing partners can specifically target would-be buyers based on
purchasing history data collected digitally by NetGrocer.
Research services include purchase and demographic trend reports as well as
customized questionnaires. They aim to help manufacturers understand product
movement and specific consumer behavior while being able to judge consumer
attitude toward and acceptance of new products or product line extensions.
NetGrocer marketing services are targeted at helping brand managers drive
volume and increase market share through strategic and tactical customer
acquisition and promotion on the NetGrocer Web site.
Advertising and promotion rights for NetGrocer marketing services partners
include exclusive aisle sponsorship, interactive “frame-within-the-page”
enhancements, and brand line “virtual” sections linked to individual
product displays. Preferred section displays showing sponsors’ goods first
or largest, ad banners and transaction-enabling partners’ Web sites linked
to NetGrocer’s are also included.
NetGrocer customer loyalty services can help partners quickly roll out value-
added frequent buyer programs spanning brands, the company said. Services
include e-mail forwarding for customer feedback and promotions relay,
piggybacking partner promotions onto NetGrocer’s NetReward incentive program
and an interactive customer “chat” forum for sharing product-usage tips.
