TBWA launches e-commerce package

Scouting for new business opportunities seems to be the latest pre-occupation of the advertising industry. TBWA Anthem's interactive division is doing exactly this with a vengeance. The division has launched an e-commerce software package, a web-based training tool, and will launch a software security product by April-end.

Says Manosh Markos, general manager, TBWA Anthem Interactive: "Last year the market situation was quite bad in the light of the severe economic recession and with very little money around. So it was necessary to explore new areas and to infuse some fresh air." Markos insists that the new tools are just progressions for the division and not a radical paradigm shift.

The e-commerce solution software, branded myEasyShop, is targeted at middle- level manufacturers, especially exporters, who have low margins and low investment businesses. The license fee, which includes hosting charges for the first year amounts to Rs 3.5 lakh. The software has a lease period of five years.

TBWA Interactive's second tool is targeted at the lucrative human resource development market. The Personnel Trainer promotes Net-based interaction of the corporate trainers and employees to impart training programmes, training schedules, training news and online testing systems. The basic cost for this software, which also has a lease period of five years, is around Rs 3.5 lakh with extra charges for customisation.  

"Both the tools are extensions of what we have been doing right from our inception in 1996 and brings about the marriage of our understanding of brands, its consumers and technology," opines Markos. The myEasyShop system allows a manufacturer to display item names, text descriptions, prices shipping options, taxes quantity and custom attributes.

TBWA Interactive claims that the strength of myEasyShop is in its customer centric features. The tool provides customers with individual address books, it has a connection to IMF for an online current currency exchange rate for multi-national shopping. Moreover, the customer interface is available in multiple languages, which includes 10 foreign languages. The software also maintains a history for the customer to enable him to track his purchase over time. This feature can be used as the basis of a loyalty programme by the manufacturer.

On the manufacturer's side, the software has in-built scaleability and flexibility which allows it to grow with the manufacturer's business. "This software is very user-friendly. Moreover, we will provide a two day training package for the user," says he. The division claims to have roped in three to four exporters for myEasyShop already.

For The Personnel Trainer, a couple of Dutch software companies have showed an interest, claims Markos. TBWA Interactive is positioning The Personnel Trainer as a tool that fosters distance learning for employees, hence, saving huge costs for the company. The tool allows different training programmes to run simultaneously.

"Our third tool, a security product, is a total break from our profile. It is currently being tested and will be ready by April-end," says Markos.  Post December 13, TBWA Interactive is planning to target government organisations .