Marketing and consultancy company, SapientNitro, has launched international health products company, Comvita’s next-generation global commerce platform.
Comvita appointed SapientNitro as their digital partner in April 2013 and tasked the agency with establishing a new direct-to-consumer e-commerce model designed to increase the company’s revenue from online direct-to-consumer sales.
The pilot phase of the platform included the launch of the UK and Japan and has now continued with the launch of local online shopping capability for the US, Australia and New Zealand. Further Asian markets are expected before the end of the year.
Comvita, a global company with a long established reputation for premium quality health products, have big ambitions to change the world by selling products that improve people’s health and lives by tapping into the power of nature.
Like many other brand manufacturers that have historically depended on a wholesale model for distribution, Comvita wanted to establish a direct relationship with customers in order to further increase their revenue and deliver exceptional value over the long term to all of their consumers. The SapientNitro-built commerce platform enhances Comvita’s ability to understand its end consumers and extend the relationship beyond the transaction.
Marcos Kurowski, managing director at SapientNitro Australia says, “We are thrilled to be working with Comvita as they pursue their ambition to build a truly global business. Being able to not just engage, but also transact directly with their consumers is key to achieving that ambition. The e-commerce platform we have delivered and continue to evolve with them gives them global scale and reach beyond in-store markets they already operate in. Owning the transaction with their consumers will help Comvita develop a much deeper understanding of who their consumers are and how to build a lifetime relationship that transcends a product purchase. We look forward to continuing the journey of innovation and growth with Comvita.”
The journey began with SapientNitro applying their proprietary Storyscaping methodology to establish Comvita’s Organising Idea, the anchor point of all future brand storylines, as well as defining their Storyscape, which provided the strategic framework to position these stories within the experience spaces that the brand would play in.
Comvita’s new online presence and websites are supported by a call centre application, which lets customer service agents immediately place an order on the commerce platform on behalf of the end customer while on the phone. The creative execution and user experience of the websites are designed to emulate the sustainability and authenticity of the company’s value and bring the feeling of the brands’ New Zealand origins into the digital world.
Looking ahead, the platform will serve as the foundation for fulfilling Comvita’s omnichannel strategy, linking physical stores with online commerce to deliver amazing experiences for Comvita’s customers no matter where in the world they are.
Comvita’s Chief Operating Officer, Scott Coulter says, “SapientNitro’s work has been a fantastic effort. We’re all impressed by the sites’ ease of use, speed and product offering and how seamlessly everything plays and transacts. SapientNitro have not just helped us build a platform for connecting with our consumers directly, but a platform for understanding and deepening our relationships with our consumers. The next part of our journey with SapientNitro sees us extending our Storyscape globally, which they helped us create, building the brand and bringing it to life in the physical world.”