Channel Intelligence Ad Network Accelerates Web Sales for B&H Photo

Aug. 27, 2008 - PRLog -- Channel Intelligence, Inc. (CI), the leader in innovative marketing technology solutions for manufacturers and retailers, today announced the publication of a new case study featuring eCommerce client B&H Photo Video. With more and more consumers looking to manufacturers for product information and purchasing options, retailers are realizing the importance of exposure and high-quality sales referrals from advertising placement on manufacturers’ websites. Veteran local and online retailer B&H increased their manufacturer referral sales by 50 percent through the CI Ad Network, which sends consumer leads directly to the retailer from product pages on manufacturers’ websites.

B&H has pursued online commerce as a major sales channel for several years and offers more than 200,000 items in its online catalog. A long-time recipient of online lead referrals from manufacturers through CI, the retailer sought a cost-effective shift from manufacturer control to a more retailer-centric platform. B&H chose to participate in the CI Ad Network on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis and manages this program as they do their other comparison shopping programs. The Ad Network has provided the company with a CPC (cost-per-click) program that is ultimately more cost-effective than other shopping engines because of the highly qualified leads directed to its site from manufacturers.

Comparing the first half of 2007 to the first half of 2008 with the CI Ad Network, performance data showed that online manufacturing referral sales accelerated by over 50 percent for B&H, and the company enjoyed a 35 percent increase in the number of manufacturers sending highly qualified online lead referrals through the Ad Network.

“We’re extremely excited by the success of this program,” says Tuvia Schachter, Strategic Partnership Marketing for B&H. “CI is a great partner for B&H and we plan to leverage their services to continue to grow our web business for a long time to come.”

The CI Ad Network launched in the fall of 2007 to take the traditional SellPath® Product Links service to the next level. In the new model, both manufacturers and retailers have control relative to participation and reseller placement. CI’s long-standing relationships with manufacturers and their constant accrual of new players relieved B&H from the pressure of contacting manufacturers and freed up resources to focus on strengthening customer loyalty.

“Having retailers such as B&H in our network provides our manufacturer clients with direct access to one of their preferred resellers and ensures consumers are able to quickly complete their purchase from best-in-class retailers who have the product in stock,” adds Chuck Kronbach, SVP and General Manager of the CI Ad Network.

For manufacturers and retailers, the CI Ad Network provides an enhanced where-to-buy offering while accelerating online sales and fostering channel partnerships. The network is supports both CPC and CPA (cost-per-acquisition) models, which makes it a very cost-effective marketing program with little risk for participating retailers.

To learn more about B&H’s success, access the case study here: http://www.channelintelligence.com/cian/case_studies.html.

About B&H Photo Video
B&H has been serving imaging markets for more than 30 years with a goal to earn the trust of its customers by offering competitive pricing, combined with honest and helpful dealings with outstanding service before, during, and after the sale. B&H strives to maintain a knowledgeable and courteous customer service staff assisted by the best support systems. Learn more at www.bhphotovideo.com.

About Channel Intelligence, Inc. (CI)
CI is a product data technology and marketing company focused on helping retailers and manufacturers make their products easier for consumers to find and buy on the Internet and in local retail stores. The CI product database is capable of storing, managing, optimizing and analyzing hundreds of millions of products every day. This database powers product data for leading manufacturers and retailers in Computing, Hardware, Tools, Appliances, Consumer Electronics, Toys and other Consumer Product industries such as Apparel, Cosmetics and Jewelry. CI offers innovative suites of services for hundreds of the world’s best known manufacturers, retailers and publishers and provides distribution of product data to over 50 destination websites, including the proprietary CI Ad Network. Cultivating partnerships with some of the best solution providers in the eCommerce arena, CI is a partner company of Internet Capital Group  and Aweida Capital Management. CI was founded in 1999 by CEO Robert Wight and EVP Alan Fulmer and is headquartered in Orlando, Fla., with offices in Geneva, Switzerland and London, England. Learn more at http://www.channelintelligence.com.