editor’s PERSPECTIVE tThis month, the <strong>Electronic</strong> <strong>Retailer</strong> staff rec- 10 electronicRETAILER | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2008</strong> VITISIA PAYNICH Multichannel Marketing at Its Best ognizes one particular company that exemplifies the true spirit of multichannel marketing. Not only does this company embrace DRTV, catalog, retail and e-commerce, it’s not afraid to explore new types of media and experiment with innovative technology to create brand awareness. I am honored to introduce Gaiam Inc. as <strong>Electronic</strong> <strong>Retailer</strong>’s “Multichannel Marketer of the Year.” The lifestyle media company promotes healthy and natural living through a variety of instructional books, DVDs, CDs and fitness products. In fact, you might be familiar with some of Gaiam’s top-selling DRTV brands like The FIRM and Billy Blanks. The Broomfield, Colo., company also develops original programming for broadcast and cable networks, as well as for online. What’s more, Gaiam has gone mobile, partnering with BlackBerry to provide wellness and meditation content for the BlackBerry Audio service. A brand leader in the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) market, Gaiam utilizes social networks to enhance its branding efforts online and to grow its Gaia.com community. “These people are very socially and environmentally responsible and they want to share their thoughts and feelings with the community,” explains Gaiam President Lynn Powers. She adds that from a marketing standpoint, social networks open up opportunities for the company to develop new continuity and membership programs for its wide range of fitness and wellness products. Many marketers can tout their successes in the retail space, however, Gaiam has gone one step further by creating store-within-a-store environments in 6,000 retail locations across the country. These unique store displays can be found at retailers like Target, Barnes & Noble and Elephant Pharmacy. According to Bill Sondheim, president of DRTV and trade at Gaiam, “We don’t look at ourselves as selling a single product—we’re selling a brand, a lifestyle and an experience.” Aside from its marketing efforts, Gaiam has exercised its brand muscle to bring awareness about the environment. Two years ago, Gaiam forged a partnership with The Conservation Fund to develop the first “Go Zero” sustainable shipping program. The green initiative encourages online customers to add a small donation at checkout. The proceeds go directly to The Conservation Fund, which enables the planting of trees to offset carbon dioxide emissions that result from product shipping. Gaiam only expected about a five-percent response rate during the first month. Yet, the actual response rate was around 30 percent. “To this day, it’s still hovering at over 25 percent of people saying yes to the donation, because it’s the right thing to do and we made it simple,” says Powers. While Gaiam’s philanthropic endeavors had no bearing on the magazine’s decision to select it as “Multichannel Marketer of the Year,” we definitely felt that the company’s efforts to promote green living were worth noting. After all, the whole purpose of telling marketers’ stories each and every month is to help educate, create awareness, and hopefully, inspire others as they pursue their own business goals—whether it’s to generate sales, create brand awareness or to simply affect change in the world. ©<strong>Electronic</strong> ©<strong>Electronic</strong> <strong>Retailer</strong> <strong>Retailer</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> [ search engine powered by magazooms.com ] Vitisia Paynich Editor-in-Chief
©<strong>Electronic</strong> ©<strong>Electronic</strong> <strong>Retailer</strong> <strong>Retailer</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> [ search engine powered by magazooms.com ]