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 email 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.