Marketing Experts Convene at Leading Industry Event: Innovative Marketing Critical for Continued Online Growth
Tuesday January 25, 8:04 am ET
Over 300 E-Commerce Executives Hear Business Leaders Discuss Strategies and Tactics to Provide Customers with Unique, Value-Added Services
NEW YORK, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Executives from among the world's foremost e-commerce companies convened at the annual LinkShare Executive Marketing Summit last week, urging attendees to be more innovative and give consumers a reason to shop online beyond low prices.
Speaking at The Westin New York hotel, online experts cited the need for the industry to enhance the customer experience through innovation and creativity. While they noted that the affiliate community has been at the forefront of creating new innovations, the presenters said it is up to all marketers to continue to push the envelope.
"The consumer is demanding more," said Stephen Messer, Chairman and CEO of LinkShare, who began the day's events by providing the welcoming address. "The old days of 'If you build it, they will come,' are over." Messer acknowledged that 2004 was a very strong year for his company and e-commerce in general, but cautioned that there are few barriers to entry and increasing numbers of new competitors for every consumer dollar.
"Google and Amazon are potential competitors to everyone in this room, including LinkShare," Messer told the audience of marketers, including merchants and affiliates. "These players are aggregating and strategically utilizing distribution to build their brands and disintermediate merchants and affiliates."
Messer went on to say that the Internet is still in its nascent stages, and that new technologies will inevitably lead to changes in leadership. "Leaders can and do fail," Messer said, ticking off once-great brands like Woolworth and Pan Am. "As a result, the e-commerce winners will be those that emphasize innovation and distribution."
Both innovation and distribution are what affiliates can and do provide, Messer stressed. "Innovation starts with affiliates," Messer said, lauding affiliates for coming up with a number of unique innovations among comparison-shopping, blogs, content sites, coupon sites and loyalty sites.
The summit featured a number of informative presentations and compelling speakers, including Kwame Jackson, a star of last year's breakout television hit, "The Apprentice." Jackson, who started two Internet businesses while pursuing his Harvard MBA, compared his experience being selected among thousands of applicants for the show to what is happening on the Internet today: "The Internet is a natural selection vehicle -- just like "The Apprentice." Marketers today must continue to innovate in order to differentiate themselves and their value proposition.
About LinkShare Corporation
LinkShare Corporation is the leading provider of technology solutions to track, manage, and analyze the performance of sales, marketing, and business development initiatives. Combining patented technology, the reach and distribution of a robust network, and expert account management services, LinkShare empowers clients with the ability to collaborate with partners online and develop cost-efficient pay-for-performance campaigns. LinkShare provides the platform, tools, and reporting to help clients acquire new customers, increase revenues, drive results, and measure success across affiliate, search, and email initiatives. LinkShare clients are Fortune 500 and prominent companies doing business online, and include J.C. Penney, 1-800-Flowers.com, American Express, Avon Products and Dell, Inc. LinkShare was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Denver, and Chicago.
LinkShare is proud to receive financial, operational and strategic support from Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: MITSY - News), Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc., Internet Capital Group (Nasdaq: ICGE - News), and Comcast Interactive Capital, an affiliate of Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSK; CMCSA). Please visit linkshare.com for more information. |
