Communicating these messages to all appropriate online and offline customers touch
points in different levels of detail from straplines to more detailed content on the web
site or in print.Communicating the OVP on the site can help create a customer-centric web site. Look
at how Autotrader does this for different types of visitors and services in Figure 4.17.
Virgin Wines uses an OVP to communicate its service promise as follows:
And what if ... You are out during the day? We promise: our drivers will find a safe place
to leave your wine; but if it does get stolen, we just replace it;
You find it cheaper elsewhere? We will refund the difference if you are lucky enough to
find a wine cheaper elsewhere;
You live somewhere obscure? We deliver anywhere in the UK, including Northern
Ireland, the Highlands and Islands, and the Scilly Isles, for £5.99;
You are in a hurry? We deliver within 7 days, or your delivery is free.Mini Case Study 4.3 ‘BA asks “Have you clicked yet?”’ gives an example of an ad cam-
paign to communicate an OVP. This is a good example since it explains the benefits of
online services and e-mail communications and also positions these benefits within the
customer buying process.
Varianini and Vaturi (2000) conducted a review of failures in B2C dot-com companies
in order to highlight lessons that can be learned. They believe that many of the prob-
lems have resulted from a failure to apply established marketing orientation approaches.CHAPTER 4· INTERNET MARKETING STRATEGY
Figure 4.17Autotrader site (www.autotrader.co.uk) clearly communicates its
proposition