Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2018 60 B U Y I N G G R O U P N E W S RO T he success or failure of a buying group rises and falls on the quality of the relationships it cultivates through the years. If the group cannot create mutually beneficial partnerships with dealers and companies, its ability to survive in the inhospitable world of retail would be in serious question. It can be said that the strength of these relationships are as important as the daily sales that are the life's blood of independent businesses. For this reason, a buying group like BrandSource must be strategic and ambitious in selecting the correct partners. In order to truly find a great match, two enterprises must also create a synergy that works. In Q4 2016, BrandSource found that synergy after a chance phone call from Google's agency development manager Andrew Leonard to BrandSource's Marketing Director Brian Wattier. What followed was a lesson in how two seemingly unrelated businesses came together to form a successful partnership. So far, the alliance has only begun to pay dividends for the buying group and the legendary tech services behemoth. The origin of BrandSource's alliance with Google was rooted in a push by marketing guru Leonard to develop partnerships with companies laden with potential. "I'm always trying to find the next great partners, especially small to mid-size companies," says Leonard. "In BrandSource, we saw a group that was growing and doing very well. They were such willing partners. They immediately understood the synergy. The fact that they were a not-for-profit was also intriguing." Ironically, Leonard had not heard of BrandSource before, nor did he know specifically what a buying group was. Yet, the conversation between Leonard and Wattier set in motion an epic collaboration. Soon after, as many as 25 members of BrandSource's dedicated advertising team received a crash course in Google's brand of digital marketing at their headquarters in Mountain View, California. Leonard praised the initiative of the BrandSource team during their 'boot camp' in Mountain View and their enthusiasm for the project. "They got this rocket ship going. Everyone agreed that we have something special. It really caught fire," he says. In a program that was launched in pilot mode beginning on January 1st, BrandSource, working with Google, started using an advanced ad product that features selected dealers who offer same-day/next-day delivery service for laundry appliances. The ads are often prominently featured on Google's search results pages. This prominent placement will eventually be available to all BrandSource members and for additional products as well. To mark the success of the partnership, BrandSource's Power Dealers and selected vendors were also given the opportunity to travel to Mountain View where they met the staff responsible for the ad program. It is the hope of BrandSource and its dealers that the advertising advantage provided by Google will finally put them on a level playing field with their box store competitors. BrandSource chief marketing officer John White feels that with Google's help, the buying group can demonstrate its ability to deliver products faster and more efficiently than the competition. "'Same-day, next- day' is impacting customers with advertising. It is what we do best, which is you buy something today, and then you get it today or tomorrow while all other dot coms are a 12-13 days wait." Representatives from BrandSource and Google believe the new venture between the two companies has the potential to extend beyond their current advertising program. Leonard feels Google can assist their new partner mightily in serving their customer base, particularly when it comes to digital marketing. "I want to keep delivering a good return. That's what I'm proud of," says Leonard. "Digital marketing is the future of marketing. We are giving them (BrandSource) the access to the same high power marketing messages and techniques that the box stores are using. We want them to know what's out there." BrandSource is particularly hopeful about the possibilities of the new alliance with Google. "It's the biggest thing we've done in the past 10 years," says White. The fledgling partnership between BrandSource and Google represents a boon for both companies who found an unlikely patron in the other. For BrandSource, it is another feather in the cap of a company on a decidedly upward trajectory. Teaming up with a marketing powerhouse like Google, the group leaves no doubt as to the extent of its ambitions. With the advantage Google affords it in terms of exposure and outreach, BrandSource and its family of dealers suddenly possesses a formidable marketing arsenal that they will no doubt use to counter the encroachment of the ubiquitous box stores. This epic shift in the world of retail where independent could conceivably gain the upper hand may just give the competition some sleepless nights. BRANDSOURCE MEETS GOOGLE : A MATCH MADE IN RETAIL HEAVEN

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