Since the dawn of e-business just a few short years ago, one of the most notable changes has been an increased sophistication level of Web integrators' customers who now know what's possible and need partners who can "carry them across the threshold," says Michael Boyd, who heads Eddie Bauer's online efforts. At the same time, integrators are no longer relying on hard-earned reputations to bring in big-name customers. "We saw a stream of start-up entities knocking on the doors of established companies," Boyd says. "We saw them as less interested in bringing value than they were in getting a chance to leverage our brand name for their own businesses' benefit."
In healthy relationships, however, there's an exchange of knowledge, as the following examples illustrate.
Customer: Oldsmobile
Web Integrator: Giant Step
Goal: Use the Web to revamp Oldsmobile's image
Lessons Learned: Partnering with established Web players had "rub-off" brand equity for Oldsmobile; value of keeping partner relationships short-term reinforced for Giant Step.
Customer: Hub Group
Web Integrator: Cysive
Goal: Webify the trucking side of Hub Group's intermodal operations
Lessons Learned: Getting data Web-ready pointed out inefficiencies in Hub Group's trucking resources; Cysive learned to work with Hub Group's CIO as a "translator" to relate business needs to Cysive's technology.
Customer: PumaTech
Web Integrator: Agency.com
Goal: Establish a process for customizing deployment of PumaTech's wireless data synchronization products
Lessons Learned: PumaTech discovered it could enhance relationships with its users by recommending Agency.com as a proven partner.
Customer: Eddie Bauer
Web Integrator: Fry Multimedia
Goal: Develop Eddie Bauer's Web presence to equal that of its catalog and retail presence
Lessons Learned: Well-established brand makes it easier to create a vital Web presence.
As end users' contact with Eddie Bauer increases, spending across all channels is magnified.
