Watson at Eddie Bauer worked with Performics representatives to develop a customized solution. When we worked with Performics to design this solution, we talked about our brand criteria and set up guardrails that established which websites, affiliates, shopping sites and content areas we wanted to use for marketing, and which places we didn't want to use. Crouthamel and his associates arrange deals with these list providers on behalf of their clients. Most retailers have people knocking on their doors all the time trying to sell them e-mail lists. Until recently, retailers had no way of knowing who had a better list and what it would be worth.
Retailers have nothing to lose.
The return on investment is fixed because they only pay for results. Once they've acquired a customer, they can use other internally developed tools to cultivate the relationship. When a shopper clicks on an offer, they actually click through our servers. We know where they came from and if they've performed the desired action. Watson at Eddie Bauer provides a good example of how Performics account managers work with their retail clients.