The Sharper Image: Fully Managed Services Meets Full Disclosure

CASE STUDY
be seen.
The Sharper Image: Fully Managed
Services Meets Full Disclosure to Grow
Search Revenue by 97%
company overview
The Sharper Image product is something you never knew existed until you
saw it – then you had to have it. Whether it is a massage chair, a multi-function
weather station or a nose hair trimmer, The Sharper Image products excel at
providing real-world solutions and are always built and designed around three
core principles: quality, innovation and design. Today, The Sharper Image has
entered a new era as it transforms from a popular retailer to a cutting-edge
retail brand. The new Sharper-Image brand products will span numerous
lifestyle categories including health, wellness, beauty, home, recreation fitness
and travel, just to name a few. Most importantly, these products are available
online at sharperimage.com. The Sharper Image is embracing e-commerce
while maintaining the core values, principles and unique point of view that have
made it a household name for years.
Before signing on with ChannelAdvisor, The Sharper Image had a paid search
program that was “a closed book,” according to Senior Internet Marketing
Manager, Mandy Miller. The company was working with a search-focused
competitor but wasn’t happy with the way its paid search campaign was
progressing.
“The firm we were using shared little data, and there were no tools that we could
use to make changes ourselves. We had to rely on them completely because there
was no transparency into what they were doing.”
Further, The Sharper Image relied completely on paid search to drive traffic to its
site. “We were not using comparison shopping engines at all before we changed
to ChannelAdvisor,” Miller said.
solution
When The Sharper Image engaged ChannelAdvisor to launch its paid search and
comparison shopping campaigns, everything turned around. One reason was the
managed level of service they chose. ChannelAdvisor’s Managed Service option offers
online retailers the most complete level of service available. The retailer has access to
an entire ChannelAdvisor account team and the wealth of knowledge and strategy that
the team represents. That really made a difference for The Sharper Image.
Location: Farmington Hills, MI
URL:
www.sharperimage.com
Industry:
Novelty Gifts and Items
“ We don’t have just one
account manager, we
have a team – a team
that is clearly invested
and checking on us,
trying to make sure we
improve our results.
“
situation
- Mandy Miller
Sr. Internet Marketing Manager
The Sharper Image
“Our relationship with ChannelAdvisor is such that we collaborate,” Miller said.
“We both bring ideas to the table, talk through these ideas and reach conclusions
that best benefit The Sharper Image. Now, we never feel like we’re waiting for
answers or results. The constant communication has really eased my mind.”
One of Miller’s favorite features of ChannelAdvisor’s solutions is the inventory
driven system. “Before, we had to check inventory all the time,” Miller said.
“We’d have to let our search company know the product was out of stock, and
then we’d have to double check that it was actually pulled down. Now, we never
have to worry about being out of stock. We have confidence that ChannelAdvisor
is getting it done.”
The Sharper Image team also likes ChannelAdvisor’s Buyer Conversion Map in
the Multichannel Assists Tracking feature. This feature traces buyer interaction
with ads and search paths, allowing a retailer to track a consumer’s “click-path”
to see where he or she went before arriving at the retailer’s site. “Insight into
buyer’s click-paths is great for justifying a program and planning future strategy,”
Miller said.
The ability to get reporting on its own is another big draw for The Sharper Image.
“It’s nice not to have to wait for someone else,” Miller said. “I can just go into the
interface and pull a report. That really reinforces what we’re doing, and I don’t
feel like we’re off on our own in a bubble.”
It used to take Miller a long time to do manual bids. “Now, I know
ChannelAdvisor’s Automated Bid Manager is covering manual bids, so I can
focus instead on testing ads, tweaking titles and doing other little things that
make a big difference,” she said.
results
The numbers don’t lie: since signing on with ChannelAdvisor, The Sharper Image
has grown revenue by an astounding 97 percent. Also, The Sharper Image found
a 23 percent improvement in marketing efficiency, significantly lowering its cost
of sale. Feedback from The Sharper Image indicates the ChannelAdvisor team is
blowing away the competition.
Based on its success so far, The Sharper Image is planning to launch
ChannelAdvisor’s Marketplaces solution in the first quarter of 2011. Miller is not
worried a bit. “We don’t have just one account manager,” Miller said. “We have a
team – a team that is clearly invested and checking on us, trying to make sure we
improve our results.”
866.264.8594
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www.channeladvisor.com
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[email protected]
ChannelAdvisor
Solutions
✓ Paid Search
Our Paid Search solution takes the basics
of this essential channel and supercharges
them specifically for retailers. Meaning? It’s
now not only possible, but also practical
and very cost-effective, to manage, automate
and maximize the visibility of campaigns
across all the top search engines – including
Google, Bing and Yahoo!
✓ Comparison Shopping
Comparison shopping sites exist to let
consumers see the big picture. Our
Comparison Shopping solution enables
retailers to do the same – offering the ability
to get a good look at the entire landscape,
market products across multiple sites easily
and effectively, and focus in on the most
persuasive campaign strategies. All of which
means more control, more relevancy and more
opportunities for sales.
Marketplaces
Webstores
Rich Media