News & EventsResponsys and Bazaarvoice Partner to Maximize e-Commerce Revenue for JC Whitney Largest Direct Marketer of Automotive Parts and Accessories Increases Customer Engagement and Sales by Integrating Social Commerce with Email Marketing Austin, Texas (Bazaarvoice Social Commerce Summit) – April 28, 2009 – Responsys, a global provider of on-demand email and marketing automation solutions, today announced that JC Whitney, the largest direct marketer of name-brand automotive parts and accessories, is maximizing e-commerce revenue through an innovative email marketing program made possible by the integration of Responsys Interact® with Bazaarvoice Ratings and Reviews™ & Ask and Answer™. The combined solution enables JC Whitney to increase the amount of user-generated content published on its website – such as product ratings and reviews and question-and-answer dialogues – and thereby grow online sales through increased customer engagement, brand loyalty and buyer confidence. "Combining the community-building power of social commerce with the timeliness and relevancy of email has breathed new life into our multichannel marketing programs," said Pete LaBore, eMarketing Director for JC Whitney. "In just a short period of time, we have seen phenomenal increases in levels of customer engagement and the number of customers utilizing the social features on our website. With these early results, it's obvious the integration of email and social commerce will be a key part of JC Whitney's marketing DNA." With a seamless integration between Bazaarvoice and Responsys, JC Whitney can automatically trigger email marketing messages after a website visit to encourage users to return to the site to rate and review products, ask and answer questions, and share personal experiences. These triggered emails, on average, have resulted in unique open rates of 100 percent and unique click-through rates of 50 percent for JC Whitney, demonstrating levels of customer engagement well above industry averages. Responsys and Bazaarvoice have partnered to help customers accelerate their social commerce traction, which will increase engagement and sales. This helps drive e-commerce revenue in several ways:
"Now more than ever, shoppers are looking to their peers to influence their buying decisions. Having the everyday shopper post reviews and insights on products is an invaluable piece of the marketing puzzle," said John Berkley, Vice President of Product Marketing and New Business for Responsys. "Combining social commerce capabilities with best-in-class email marketing has become a key strategy for building an engaged customer community, and ultimately, accelerating online revenue gains. We've been thrilled to see the results enabled by working with our partner, Bazaarvoice, and our joint customer, JC Whitney, in this arena." Established in 1915, JC Whitney & Co. is the largest direct marketer of name-brand automotive parts and accessories, providing "everything automotive" with more than 400,000 items covering more than 6 million automotive applications from the latest model year back to the 1920s. JC Whitney offers products for virtually any vehicle – automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, and more – through its comprehensive family of general and vehicle-specific catalogs and on the World Wide Web at www.jcwhitney.com. About Responsys Media Contacts Responsys (650) 745-1720 |
