G'day anyone out there - this is interesting
Tuesday April 20, 4:02 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Harte-Hanks Extends Direct Marketing With Advanced Internet and
New Media Services
Harte-Hanks Interactive, a New Division, Extends Internet, eBusiness and Interactive
Capabilities to Build On the Company's Many Years of Experience in Direct Marketing
SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 20, 1999-- Harte-Hanks Inc. (NYSE:HHS - news) has strengthened its worldwide direct marketing offering with
an expanded interactive initiative to include Web site development, e-commerce, and other Internet-based and interactive services through Harte-Hanks Interactive,
its newly-formed full-service interactive division.
The new division will link with and leverage the leadership position Harte-Hanks has already developed in providing a range of outsourced Internet services:
-- Harte-Hanks processes over 700,000 Response Management Internet transactions monthly serving over 90 clients in the high-tech, telecommunications,
financial services, healthcare and consumer related industries.
-- Harte-Hanks offers cutting edge design, animation and programming to produce award-winning Web sites, dynamic computer-based training programs,
interactive ROI models, videos and other new media programs to inform and influence professionals and consumers.
-- Harte-Hanks database software components are integrated by major institutions as part of their Web-based activities. Harte-Hanks also provides
Java-based software for use over the Internet.
By forming Harte-Hanks Interactive through its recent acquisition of Spectral Resources, Woodstock, N.Y., and a range of investments in the interactive arena,
Harte-Hanks has expanded its service offerings significantly. These new services provide a natural, value-added extension to the direct marketing services of
Harte-Hanks, supported by its long experience and technology leadership in helping businesses build, manage and maintain customer one-to-one relationships.
Harte-Hanks services on the Internet will enable client users to gather information about customers in real-time Internet transactions, then use that information to
develop data-driven strategies to be implemented across all of their direct marketing channels in ways that deliver measurable results and unusually high returns on
investment. The new services will dovetail with existing Harte-Hanks Internet offerings.
''The Internet has enormous potential as a direct marketing channel on its own, but its true potential can only be reached if it is integrated into a complete direct
marketing effort,'' said Richard Hochhauser, president and chief executive officer of Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing, and chief operating officer of Harte-Hanks Inc.
''Our broad direct marketing experience across all media can unleash the power of the Internet to leverage success across our clients' whole direct marketing
program.''
Interactive services now offered through Harte-Hanks include:
Web Site Development and Design
Harte-Hanks uses cutting-edge digital technologies, advanced interactive features, real-time decisioning and stunning designs to provide compelling online user
experiences while capturing useful customer information and tracking Web traffic. The company also develops intranet and extranet sites to disseminate critical
marketing and sales lead information, train personnel or carry out other vital communications functions.
Strategic Marketing and Consulting
Harte-Hanks develops marketing strategies to strategically position the client's brand, provide information, generate revenue and capture customer profiling
information which can be intelligently employed in multi-channel marketing efforts. Harte-Hanks develops effective, brand-driven on-line advertising, creates the
targeted media plan to deploy the advertising to best effect, places advertising on the Internet and tracks its performance.
E-Commerce
Harte-Hanks develops and deploys advanced e-commerce solutions, including systems to process and fulfill orders, update inventory, capture customer profiling
and order information and maintain the system. Transactions over Harte-Hanks e-commerce sites are protected by rigorous security controls to protect proprietary
information and customer privacy.
E-Mail Marketing
Harte-Hanks develops and delivers low-cost automated electronic mail campaigns that offer unprecedented reach, speed and flexibility, targeting just a single
customer or a customer segment of thousands of people.
Interactive Relationship Management
Most existing relationship management programs are designed and implemented off-line by the back office. Harte-Hanks offers effective individualized solutions for
on-line customers, particularly for the Web visitors. It supports multiple recommendation strategies, such as collaborative filtering, click stream-based analysis,
statistics modeling and decision trees. This Web architecture independent approach provides unprecedented flexibility and true one-to-one real-time relationship
marketing in today's dynamic marketplace.
Advanced Database Development Tools Enabling Customers to Build
and Manage Their Marketing Databases
Industry experts all agree that cleansed data, customer views and tracking over time are critical success factors for any customer marketing initiatives. Harte-Hanks
provides platform independent (Mainframe, UNIX and NT), scalable software solutions in both enterprise data re-engineering with Trillium Software Systems®,
and a customer data warehouse construction software suite, Relationship Builder(tm). These software components are used by many worldwide enterprises to
support their marketing campaigns.
Online Training Seminars
The Harte-Hanks Webinar Service is a Web-based presentation and interactive communications tool which enables clients to conduct online seminars and training
for any number of personnel anywhere in the world at a tiny fraction of the cost and trouble of a traditional on-site seminar. Webinar provides for online registration,
e-commerce capabilities to accept fees, real-time discussion via voice or on-line chat and full activity and usage reporting.
Event Manager
Event Manager is a comprehensive Web-based event system that handles registration, scheduling, cancellation, payment reception and confirmation, all via the
Internet. Event Manager maintains completely accurate, up-to-the-minute reports of registrants, sites and dates, cancellations, walk-ins and follow-up activities. And
coupled with Webinar, Harte-Hanks clients are able to conduct Web-based presentations and interactive communications via the Internet, allowing them to share
important information or presentations with thousands of customers or partner simultaneously, anywhere in the world.
Online and Computer-Based Training
Harte-Hanks develops sophisticated Internet- and intranet-based interactive programs that can be used to train personnel anywhere in the world at a tiny fraction of
the cost and trouble of traditional on-site training. CD-ROM-based interactive multimedia programs feature intelligent content development, dynamic design,
advanced programming, state-of-the-art animation, video and overall digital artistry to create compelling information environments that achieve training objectives.
Powerful and Easy-To-Use Database Access Tools and Services to
Help Clients Plan and Evaluate Events and Promotions
To discover and gain insights, Harte-Hanks offers a full suite of segmentation capabilities (P/CIS®, Segment(tm)) and end-to-end campaign management processes
(Desktop Direct® and Open Campaign Manager(tm)). Both Segment and Java-based Open Campaign Manager are integrated with IRE(tm), Harte-Hanks
bit-mapped accelerators that are compatible with most RDBMS. To deliver high performance for marketers in the relational database environment, users can also
incorporate IRE with their own analytic applications.
CALM(tm) (Comprehensive Advanced Lead Management)
CALM provides Web-based sales lead management, feedback and forecasting tools, reseller referral and real-time notification of leads via the Internet. For
immediate delivery of sales and marketing reports, CALM offers real-time database from any desktop with a browser allowing for up-to-the-minute,
comprehensive marketing information -- anytime, anywhere.
E-Sales Manager
Designed to fully support online sales and distribution of products or literature, E-Sales Manager can receive and fulfill orders, process payments, monitor inventory
levels and track shipments via the Internet. Vital order processing, inventory management, and shipping information are also available in an easy-to-use Web site
that's accessible seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
CommCenter
This unique system provides multiple Web-based interactive options for customers searching for product information and customer support. A searchable
knowledge base is stored inside CommCenter in an interactive, user-friendly interface. For customers who don't find what they are looking for or need additional
help in getting the information they need, CommCenter also offers real-time chat and live operator services.
''We have packaged some existing interactive capabilities and added some new ones,'' summarized Richard Hochhauser. ''We are now better prepared to meet
customer needs, whether they be stand-alone interactive solutions or links between interactive and traditional direct marketing.''
Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing, headquartered in New York City, supplies response management, database marketing and marketing services that provide direct
marketing solutions to the retail, financial services, high technology, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. The company also serves such markets as
telecommunications, publishing, utilities, automotive and business-to-business.
Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing is the largest and fastest growing core business of Harte-Hanks Inc., (NYSE:HHS - news), San Antonio, Texas, a diversified,
targeted media company with operations worldwide.
For more information, visit the Harte-Hanks Web site at www.harte-hanks.com. |
