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Pfaltzgraff Case Study

Pfaltzgraff Reports Online Affiliate Sales Increase by 400% Using Commission Junction

The Pfaltzgraff family of German immigrant potters began their company in 1811 in York, Pennsylvania. Today Pfaltzgraff Co. is one of America's leading marketers of casual dinnerware and accessories for the home. By leveraging Commission Junction's expertise and implementing unique pay-for-performance program elements, Pfaltzgraff has successfully grown with the times, making the transition from bricks-and-mortar manufacturer to savvy online marketer.



	"...with a directed and dynamic Commission Junction program we've accelerated our growth rate to triple-digits." Barbara Grafton-Stoner

Having established a strong foothold in the market through factory stores, catalogs and department stores, Pfaltzgraff looked to expand its business by reaching consumers online. In 2000 the company launched a Web site at pfaltzgraff.com to sell products online directly to consumers. This initial move into the realm of online retail was generally focused on providing current customers with another easy means to purchase Pfaltzgraff wares. In order to expand its online reach and attract new audiences, Pfaltzgraff turned to Commission Junction to implement a comprehensive suite of performance-based marketing programs beginning in September 2003. Using a combination of CJ Vantage™, CJ Search™ and CJ Associate™, Pfaltzgraff reported an impressive 400 percent increase in online sales in 2004 over 2003.

Not deterred by the inherent limitations of a small internal marketing team, Pfaltzgraff established high standards and goals for its online efforts. Implementing CJ Associate, a service solution for developing and managing affiliate marketing programs, Pfaltzgraff benefited from a dedicated account manager within Commission Junction. Implemented in conjunction with CJ Vantage, CJ Associate offers expert service and support, daily management, customized analysis and financial reports. Effectively leveraging those resources, Pfaltzgraff quickly established itself as one of Commission Junction's top advertisers within its category and recently ranked 285 in Internet Retailer's Top 400 Web Retailer's Guide.

As part of its expanded online marketing efforts, Pfaltzgraff extended the Commission Junction program to include search marketing. Taking advantage of Commission Junction's ability to offer a simple, single point of contact to meet both search and affiliate marketing needs, Pfaltzgraff implemented CJ Search, a software and consulting package designed to assist with keyword management.

In a departure from common practice for companies with both affiliate and search initiatives, Pfaltzgraff decided on an affiliate-friendly strategy: allowing affiliates to bid on trademarked terms, and only bidding on keywords internally when they are not being covered by its affiliate publishers. For example, most publishers will focus efforts on just one search engine, such as Google or Yahoo!, but might leave other search engines such as MSN or AskJeeves alone. Similarly plural words and new words based on Pfaltzgraff's dynamic promotions offer additional avenues often left unexplored by affiliates. Pursuing this unique strategy, Pfaltzgraff complements publishers' search efforts by focusing on identifying new marketing opportunities and actually providing affiliates with that valuable feedback to increase their performance. Leveraging CJ Search, Pfaltzgraff's program employs diverse strategies for maximum results, ensures dynamic and responsive tactics to reflect the company's latest offerings and promotions, and maintains Pfaltzgraff's strong brand in the expansive online space – with results that satisfy their high expectations.

"Commission Junction's expertise, personal attention and full range of offerings helped us grow our e-commerce efforts into a sophisticated, proactive marketing program," said Barbara Grafton-Stoner, VP catalog and Internet operations at Pfaltzgraff. "We've been able to achieve double-digit online sales growth every year since implementing our online channel, but with a directed and dynamic Commission Junction program we've accelerated our growth rate to triple-digits."

To learn more about Pfaltzgraff's affiliate program please visit www.pfaltzgraff.com.

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