CHICAGO -- An estimated 200 executives, almost double the number of a year ago, are expected to attend the third annual Electronic Marketing Conference later this month.
The two-day event will focus on a wide range of strategic issues in the electronic marketing arena, from both a domestic and an international point of view, said Carlene Thissen, president of Retail Systems Consulting.
One issue that will be addressed in some depth is quantifying performance results from electronic marketing programs. To do that, an executive from Belgium's Delhaize "Le Lion," parent company of Food Lion, Salisbury, N.C., will share results of its frequent shopper program overseas.
"In the United States, retailers won't talk about this stuff much," Thissen said. "It's like pulling teeth to get anybody to speak -- and when they do, they're not very specific." The conference also will provide a "blueprint" for evaluating the financial stability of electronic marketing companies. "That will be interesting in light of the number of electronic marketing companies that have already come and gone," Thissen said.
Retailer-manufacturer partnerships in electronic marketing will also be explored. A session by the president of Gregerson Food, Gadsden, Ala., for example, will examine how retailers can work with manufacturers to pay for electronic marketing programs.
Another speaker will be an executive from Procter & Gamble who will talk about "value pricing" vs. frequent shopper and electronic marketing programs.
