Engaging your network with the brand portal – The ARC example
9 June 2022
ARC, a global leader in tableware with over 5 brands, 7,500 employees and 15 distribution sites serving both B2B and B2C markets, explains how the Quable PIM brand portal helps them manage their distribution network with reliable, high-quality and constantly up-to-date information.
In many companies, certain tools are unsuitable for managing product data or information (descriptions, specifications, packaging details, as well as visuals, photos, images, videos and technical data sheets, etc.). Most companies do not have a suitable solution in place and usually manage Excel files and network folders. These methods are often impractical and prone to error, which can lead to a lack of reliability and quality in the information, as well as poor relations with customers and/or sales staff.
All of this also leads to a lack of collaboration between teams (management, marketing, etc.), due in particular to the lack of processes and the large number of time-consuming and repetitive tasks.
Why implement a brand portal?
In ARC’s case, two main reasons prompted the group to take this decision:
- The vast amount of existing product-related content. Furthermore, this content was scattered across various departments, divisions and teams within the company, operating in an international context.
- A complex information-sharing process, which made it difficult to navigate the numerous existing visuals and their links to the products. This also resulted in a high volume of internal enquiries to teams from customers, partners and others.
The portal for making the most of data
The brand portal is a tool designed as follows: a space where content creators have contributed to and consolidated product information, which is then immediately put to use and disseminated to various audiences, whether internal staff, distributors or sales representatives. The portal also plays a key role in streamlining commercial interactions (within the network of retailers and distributors) by rapidly disseminating this product information – a key success factor from a customer loyalty strategy perspective.
In addition to supporting its retail outlets, this portal is also used for other purposes: for example, sharing and promoting previews with brand ambassadors, and working with press agencies (press releases and press kits for events, for example).
A single point of entry
With regard to ARC’s operations, the brand portal has met the group’s objectives of disseminating information both internally and externally for all brands and products.
The benefit of being able to send information via a single portal, accessible from outside the organisation (for communications agencies, customers, distributors, etc.), is the ability to select which products to include or exclude from the group’s range of over 20,000 items.
It is also beneficial for the group to be able to control who can access this portal by setting more selective access rights to determine who has access to what information. The portal enables ARC to select the information it wishes to disseminate, thereby targeting the brands, product categories, products and product information it wishes to communicate to the portal’s 2,600 users (sales teams, clients, the press).
Content tailored to its brand, business and product
Depending on the categories of users to whom ARC grants access to the portal, not all information is necessarily relevant. The group chooses which information to push and to whom. This information can be varied: general (size, weight, materials, colours), logistical (EAN, packaging, packaging specifications), and visual (product images, product photos, visuals, packshots, ambient visuals). This portal offers a brand and product experience that makes it easier to retrieve data. Customisation is also achieved by tailoring the portal, particularly its design, to provide a bespoke experience in the brand’s colours for end users who will log in to the portal.
Encouraging adoption of the portal
From a business perspective, it is important not to overlook or disregard the working practices and synergies that were already in place and functioning effectively before the introduction of the PIM and its portal.
Hence the importance of setting up workflows that mirror pre-existing working practices as closely as possible to facilitate adoption of the tool, boost motivation and enable teams to be more efficient. It is essential to take on-the-ground realities into account at an early stage to ensure that business expertise aligns with the tool.
It is vital to involve the business side in this type of project, identifying what people need in their day-to-day work so that their needs can be aligned with what the product has to offer. A short training session will be necessary to explain the tool, support the teams concerned and engage them. However, this is the key to successful adoption and to ensuring that information is consistently up to date, of high quality and reliable.
Conclusion
It is essential to provide a simplified version of your product catalogue by transforming your product database at an early stage to share this information quickly, accurately and reliably. The PIM brand portal will not only save you valuable time through its automated processes, but also ensure consistency and better collaboration between your internal teams and across your entire business ecosystem.