GATORADE OUTSOURCING TELEMARKETING, NET SERVICE

RICHARD TURCSIK

CINCINNATI -- Matrixx Marketing here is helping the Gatorade Co. division of Quaker Oats further develop its consumer data base by running Gatorade's telemarketing and Internet services.

"Quaker has their own data base. We capture information and enter it into their own data base," Brenda McCleary, Gatorade account manager at Matrixx, told Brand Marketing.

"We generate reports here and their marketing group in Chicago can generate reports as well. We partner and work together in doing the back-end data analysis and interpretation of the data that is gathered," she said.

"We use the information to do quality reports and send the information to the plants to let them know if there was an off flavor one day," she said.

"New-product reports are very important. We can find out what consumers are saying about new flavors or new products before the sales numbers are even in. A lot of the marketing brand teams are contacting the reps here daily, saying, 'What are they saying about the new Cherry Rush flavor?' They are very anxious to get the new-product information," McCleary explained.

The call-in center is also being used to gauge consumer reaction to a new Sweat It Out bottle cap promotion that is being done this year in conjunction with the National Basketball Association finals. Consumers can win Gatorade merchandise by matching the scores printed on the inside of the bottle cap with the actual scores during the finals.

"By looking at the information that is gathered here in our call center, Gatorade is monitoring this promotion and finding out if there is consumer confusion, are people excited about it, if they understand the program," she said.

According to McCleary, the Matrixx Gatorade group is virtually an extension of the Gatorade marketing team at Quaker's headquarters in Chicago. Reps are immersed in six weeks of training about Gatorade history and product knowledge. The team handles all Gatorade consumer phone calls, consumer mail and contacts over the Internet. McCleary said Gatorade has been using the Internet to build its sales and reach the actual consumer of its products.

"The demographic profile of the Internet user is exactly the same as the demographic profile of the Gatorade user," McCleary added.