IBM Focuses On Seamless Shopping, 360 Degree View Of Consumer
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
With more than 8,000 businesses around the world currently using IBM’s Enterprise Management Marketing Tools, IBM is, by no means, new to the concept of marketing automation. For the international technology and consulting company, marketing intelligence, repetitive tasks and managing work-flow is one of the company’s strengths. Enterprise Management Marketing Tools is described by IBM as a way to, “engage buyers in highly relevant, interactive dialogues across digital, social and traditional marketing channels.” The acquisition of Silverpop, however, brings IBM and its large network of clients, more cloud-based capabilities and a stronger email platform.
"Silverpop's powerful marketing automation capabilities will be infused across IBM's enterprise marketing portfolio to help organizations exceed expectations throughout the customer journey," says Kevin Bishop, VP, Customer Engagement Solutions, IBM. Just as with many of IBM’s past acquisitions, retailers are expecting this new acquisition to merge with its suite of marketing solutions. Many of IBM’s clients may currently circumvent the company’s offerings to get the best in-class email solutions, however, with Silverpop’s acquisition, IBM could fill a real need. Silverpop is highly regarded for email marketing, with 27 of the top 1,000 North American retailers counting on the company for its campaigns. As Silverpop is currently geared toward a lower number of users, how it will all pan out is yet to be seen. Bishop, however, stated, “this will allow IBM to make it easier for clients of any size to acquire, retain and maximize the lifetime value of their customers."
The acquisition of Silverpop isn’t the retailer’s only entry into fluid shopping in recent weeks. A new partnership between Fluid, Inc. and IBM’s Watson Group is focused on giving customers access to their own personal shoppers, anywhere and anytime. Alongside Fluid Inc., IBM is “working to redefine today's e-commerce experience by evolving it beyond the traditional criteria of price, convenience and selection, and adding a transformational new factor: the expertise and personalized advice of an in-store sales representative.” As IBM continues to develop innovative software and technology solutions to meet the evolving needs of business today, who knows what will be next; though robotic personal shoppers may a bit far-fetched, never say never.