NEW WARNER WEB SITE AIDS RETAILERS

RANDY WEDDINGTON

BURBANK, Calif. -- Warner Home Video here said that marketing resources for their video specialist customers are now on-line for easier access.

The studio's new site, WHVdirect.com, offers several useful features for supermarkets, among others. Advertising graphics can be downloaded from it. So can product information in Excel spreadsheets. Products can be searched by eight or more fields, including box-office and MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) ratings. The "What's Changed" section keeps retailers current on any changes in preorder and release dates. And the "Rental Workshop" lets buyers track their shipments and status of orders, as well as advertising accrual on specific titles.

The site had been operational before going public, according to Trevor Drinkwater, WHV vice president of sales, sell-through. "The site launched in mid-September," he said. Since then, "we've just been quietly cultivating the content and the users."

That launch date came shortly after the debut of WHV's Rental Direct program. "The [Web site] initiative had been in place before the decision was made for Warner Home Video to go direct," said Drinkwater. "We had been going down that path anyway; it was just a way for us to enhance that offering."

The timing has proved beneficial. "It certainly has helped us out with our rental communications," he said.

And the response, mainly from Rental Direct participants, has been considerable. "At first we got a flood because we used our [field representatives] to help sell this concept to retailers," said Mike Wokosin, WHV director of Internet marketing. "It has trailed off a bit, but we already have a user base that's well into the thousands."

As a result Warner is better able to evaluate retailers' progress toward the Net. "We've seen in some surveys that at least 75% of retailers are wired," said Wokosin. "I do get the random phone call from someone who's never been on the Internet before, which is ... a signal that people are really embracing this channel for information purposes."

The Web site will also allow Warner sales representatives to be more productive, Wokosin said. "Instead of having to track down information, they can spend time with buyers talking strategically about how we grow their business and how we do a better job of promoting titles."

In reaching that goal "the main initiative ... is to try to automate as much of the information transfer as we can," added Drinkwater.

One site feature already undergoing reconstruction is its release calendar, which currently covers Warner video product for its three-month solicitation window, Wokosin said. "Some of the functionality we're in the process of adding is putting theatrical release dates on the calendar to help retailers plan against."

And Warner intends to continue site development in response to retailer input. "I constantly get direct phone calls and e-mails with regard to tips and hints that folks would like to see in the future," said Wokosin.

So far the site has been universally welcomed. "We've gotten a lot of great response both internally and externally," he said. "It's very gratifying."