Response Magazine - September 2010

to embrace new opportunities — which are happening all the time — while optimizing the channels that are already in place.”

Moving Beyond Traditional Sales

Gift retailer 1800Flowers.com is one merchant that has embraced the challenge of new technology through both

traditional and DR marketing strategies.

“I think the greatest challenge for retail in this arena is that you’ve got a ton of interest in new technology, and you want customers to have the best online experience, so which one do we as retailers focus on?” says Kevin Ranford, vice president of online marketing, mobile and social media for the Carle Place, N. Y.-

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Tel: 920/967-8000
www.custservdirect.com

based company. “We believe strongly in testing and we always test out what we’re hearing will be the next big thing in the online experience for customers. Everything moves fast online. You want to make sure you’re pursuing the right online technology so we’re constantly surveying consumers, asking what online experiences they like or dislike. They really drive the experience.”

1800Flowers.com makes most of its sales online and has been a driving force in the E-commerce world for years, embracing the Internet first in 1992 after ini-

1800Flowers.com launched its Web site in 1995 and has most recently utilized social media to engage consumers in E-commerce. The company sees Facebook as a place not to push products, but to offer users a point of interaction outside of the sales transaction.

tially driving business through its toll-free number. 1-800-Flowers launched its first Web site in 1995, and officially changed its name to 1800Flowers.com four years later, and has most recently expanded into social media and M-commerce.

The company’s foray into direct response includes mobile apps for the iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones; SMS texting and mobile-display advertising; an online store via Facebook; and a mobile-friendly Web site optimized for a variety of user devices.