1、building a syndication inriver,all rights reserved2/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidethe syndication program why a programmatic approach the syndication cycle step-by-step guide to people,process,and technology practical example of a syndication implementing your syndication

2、 program3/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guideintrocontents:the team the pilot project expanding the pilot project building a syndication strategy reference materials This guide was created by Valtech and inriver to assist ecommerce leaders on how to best understand the syndica

3、tion challenge and how a combination of people,process,and technology can achieve success on the digital shelf.In this guide,we will follow the newly assembled(and completely fictional tool manufacturer)Natural Tools syndication team as they tackle syndicating their first product category to Amazona

4、nd build a strategy for expanding their syndication program in the future.This guide presents a Maturity Model to help assess where your organization currently is and how to take your team to the next level.4/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidewhy you need a syndication progra

5、mSyndication to marketplaces is an ongoing process not a one-time configuration.When syndicating to retailers,brands must comply with the format,attributes,attribute values,and delivery method required by each retailer.Retailer requirements change frequently as they seek to differentiate themselves.

6、For each change,new configurations and product enrichment in inriver may be needed to successfully syndicate data to a retailer.A holistic approach will allow you to identify opportunities for efficiency such as leveraging similar data points across multiple channels.Result:Syndicating product infor

7、mation to a retailer requires a programmatic approach that leverages a defined,repeatable process involving several key stakeholders working across multiple tools.introducing the Natural Tools*Syndication TeamIn this guide,youll follow the journey of a typical Product Experience Management or PXM te

8、am as they handle product information on a daily basis.This will help you put yourselves in their shoes to replicate and bring the program to life at your own organization.*Natural Tools is a completely fictional tools manufacturer6/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guideCheryl is

9、 the channel manager.Shes new to this team but brings a ton of experience.She is the person who can speak intelligently about“omnichannel”and“the digital shelf”.Steve is in sales.He has a penchant for monologues and hitting his quarterly targets.Connor is our content manager.Not to flex,but he prefe

10、rs to go by“power user”.Hes the main person of enrichment,linking assets to products,and improving content.Constantly.Derek is our developer admin,“IT guy”,you name it.Had he been born pre-computer age he probably would have been a firefighter.These days the only fires he helps with are your forgott

11、en passwords and little things likethe entire operation of the company.Pam is a product manager.She doesnt just design and launch the products,she also uses them.Actively.Vicky works at inriver(our PIM vendor).Shes an expert on the software and can do what you think you remembered seeing it do way b

12、ack when you saw a demo.7/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guideplot your progressMaturity on the digital shelf is a complex topic involving many facets.Before overwhelming yourself in the amount of work you could do,first understand your current state and how to further mature y

13、our competencies.You successfully publish data to targeted channels when needed.At this stage you can begin to set targets to measure against and build out KPIs.You can track how well you stack up against the competition in search and channel performance.At this stage you are more tactical in what a

14、ssortments you send to channels and the level of enrichment you strive for on each channel.You can demonstrate through performance data the impact that syndication has on the greater business.At this stage you are making strategic decisions about where to place your efforts for the greater good of t

15、he organization.You may be able to help change the product development process,pricing strategies,selection of new technology,or other key initiatives impacting multiple departments and stakeholders.maturitylevel 1maturitylevel 2maturitylevel 3Requirements MetCompetitors BestedOrganizational Visibil

16、itysyndication pilot programrequirements metmaturitylevel 19/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guideoperation:product launchNatural Tools would like to syndicate a new category of products cordless drills in the next few weeks.The good news?Natural Tools has most of their product

17、information and digital assets saved in inriver(their PIM solution).The bad news?Amazon requires different values for some of the attributes Natural Tools has in their PIM solution.For example,product category names and size options dont match.Natural Tools also has their USPs saved as one paragraph

18、 of text,which will need to be changed to bullet points for Amazon.And finally,there are some types of content that Amazon supports Natural Tools simply does not have right now.maturitylevel 1With inriver Syndicate,users are able to use mapping and transformation tools to remove the ongoing challeng

19、e of having to modify values to meet the destinations requirements.Learn more10/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidescoping the launchAfter Pam sends a blast to marketing the new cordless drills products were setup in the ERP and will be pushed to inriver the next day,Cheryl in

20、vites Pam and Steve to a Zoom meeting to go over getting these products to Amazon.Steve is all in.“These products need to be on Amazon,like,yesterday”,he says.“Oh yeah,heres the template from Amazon”,he says.“Easy,right?”,he says.Connor is as excited to get these products online as anyone,but hes un

21、usually quiet at the meeting.Theres a good reason for this.He knows Natural Tools is missing a lot of the content they need to make these products a huge success on Amazon.He also knows this new category isnt even configured in inriver yet.They ping Derek,whos not free free,but he is able to join 10

22、 minutes into the call.He promises to get the new data points setup in inriver,but hes not 100%sure about how to transform some of the data or do some of the more advanced settings in the PIM softwarewhich finds its way into Vickys email inbox several seconds later.Shes got this.A few transformation

23、s,a few new attributes to map in inriver.Boom.maturitylevel 111/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 1:assemble Decides to syndicate the new products on Amazon Gets the category template from Amazon Informs Steve and Cheryl a new category of products is launching soon,so ex

24、pect these new SKUs to be added to inriverCheryl Channel ManagerSteve SalesPam Product Managerstep 2configurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorstep 1assemblematuritylevel 112/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 2:configure Adds new attributes to inriver Adds new

25、 picklist values to inriver Adds new category template to inriver for mapping Provides super helpful instructions on how to transform existing attributes to avoid needing to create new onesDerek Developer,AdminVicky inriverstep 2configurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorstep 1assemblemat

26、uritylevel 1With inriver Syndicate,the retailer templates become an easy-to-use mapping user interface where the brand can choose how best to meet the end point requirements,leveraging their PIM data.13/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 3:map&transform Ensures that base

27、attributes from ERP were correctly imported into inriverPam Product Manager Enriches all mandatory and as many optional attributes from Amazon template as possible Uses the transformation cheat sheet from Vicky to save time enriching Informs Cheryl when the first batch of enriched SKUs is readyConno

28、r Content Managerstep 2configurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorstep 1assemblematuritylevel 1Inriver Syndicate clearly shows the user both the mandatory and optional attributes so you are not only able to meet intiial requirements but to quickly map the optional ones as well,ensuring yo

29、u get as much of your great PIM data on the retailer site to improve search and conversion.14/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 4:deliver Runs a test export and reviews it Gathers all necessary files Logs into Amazon portal and uploads filesCheryl Channel Managerstep 2co

30、nfigurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorstep 1assemblematuritylevel 1Inriver Syndicate automates the process of getting consistent data out of PIM and into the correct retailer template.This automation leads to additional scale and significantly reduces time to market.15/34 building a sy

31、ndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 5:monitor Checks to see that the products were published Checks to see that the data is displayed as expected Monitors performance in the channel(search,buy box,etc.)Cheryl Channel Manager Monitors sales generated on Amazon for this new categorySteve Sa

32、lesstep 2configurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorstep 1assemblematuritylevel 1Inrivers digital shelf analytic solutions inform the user,near real time if the product content arrived as expected on the retailer site,and that it stays there.When content compliance issues are detected,the

33、 PIM user is notified and take the appropriate actions.Learn moreExpanding the programcompetitors bestedmaturitylevel 217/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guideoperation:revise&revampNatural Tools has noticed that after initial success,sales of their cordless drills products on A

34、mazon have stalled.Their analytics indicate their products have been falling off the top page of results in this category.Upon further review,they realize Amazon has added two new attributes to their template for this category one to mark a product as “re-chargable”and another to highlight“batteries

35、 needed”.The band reunites to improve results in this category on Amazon.maturitylevel 2Inrivers digital shelf analytic capabilities inform the user when the brands product falls within the category and search rank.This is hugely beneficial as it can be done at scale,across the entire product assort

36、ment with the insights coming directly back into PIM.Learn more18/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 1:assemble Notices data quality alerts around missing attributes on Amazon Realizes these fields are optional,but nonetheless important to Natural Tools customers who shop

37、 on AmazonCheryl Channel Managerstep 2configurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorstep 1assemblematuritylevel 219/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 2:configure Downloads the updated category template from Amazon Delivers the template to DerekSteve Sales Adds ne

38、w attributes to inriver Adds new picklist values to inriverDerek Dev,Adminstep 2configurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorstep 1assemblematuritylevel 220/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 3:map&transform Enriches the newly added attributes for all products in

39、 this category that are being sent to Amazon Reviews existing fields mapped for this category because,you know,dedication Informs Pam there are new attributes on Amazon some of which may make sense to add to the ERPConnor Content Managerstep 2configurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorste

40、p 1assemblematuritylevel 221/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 4:deliver Runs a test export and reviews it Gathers all necessary files Logs into Amazon portal and uploads filesCheryl Channel Managerstep 2configurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorstep 1assembl

41、ematuritylevel 222/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidestep 5:monitor Checks to see that the products were published Checks to see that the data is displayed as expected Monitors performance in the channel(search,buy box,etc.)Cheryl Channel Manager Monitors sales generated on A

42、mazon for this new categorySteve Salesstep 2configurestep 3map&transformstep 4deliverstep 5monitorstep 1assemblematuritylevel 2setting a content strategymaturitylevel 224/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guideimportant decisions to makeNatural Tools has discovered that syndicatio

43、n is not a simple one-time configuration,but more of a process.Theyve also uncovered some data gaps on their end,as well as some new opportunities for content that converts within Amazon.Content they dont have today.Cheryl knows the team cannot get fully enriched A+content ready overnight.She also k

44、nows Natural Tools carries more SKUs than the team could realistically fully enrichever.At the same time,management has noted the success on Amazon and now wants to see these products on Walmart.maturitylevel 2Combining the benefits of inriver Syndicate with inrivers digital shelf analytics solution

45、s allows you to not only map,transform,and deliver your enriched PIM content but it also monitors the sites,ensuring that if it changes,you are notified and can take action.Learn morea tale of two marketplacesNatural Tools needs to do some analysis before expanding to the Walmart channel.How many of

46、 the attributes are shared between Amazon and Walmart?How many of these can they reuse?What differences are there between the two marketplaces?This could be everything from category names to digital asset sizes and formats.Does Natural Tools have the bandwidth to enrich all SKUs the same on both mar

47、ketplaces?What is the cost associated with enriching and delivering SKUs to these marketplaces,anyway?Identical content in both channelsSame attributes and assets but different formats(requires transformation)Content unique to each channelformats(requires transformation)maturitylevel 226/34 building

48、 a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidea downhill battleFrom the teams analysis,Cheryl sees that she can reapply a lot of the content,approach,and learnings from one channel to others.This includes the type of content to prepare,how to analyze channel performance,and the general workflow wit

49、hin her organization.What she then needs to plug in for each channel is the mappings,transformations,and in some cases,internal owners for certain tasks.By nailing the Amazon channel firstreally nailing itCheryl estimates she can essentially cover 80%of the work on the next two target channels,and m

50、ore than half of the two after that.channel 1channel 2channel 3channel 4channel 5maturitylevel 227/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guideprioritizing my content strategyCheryl realizes that the team needs to develop a syndication strategy.This could take many forms:Hyperfocus on

51、one channel:enrich the top 20%performing SKUs with above and below the fold content,and for the bottom 80%only enrich above the fold Be present everywhere:get 100%of SKUs enriched with the bare minimum attributes on all channels the company is targeting Focus on quality:enrich the top 20%performing

52、SKUs with enhanced content on all channels the company is targeting,and forget sending the rest Cheryl isnt married to any one of these ideas,but a decision needs to be made.She decides to have her team analyze the attributes and assets required on these two channels to see how much effort it would

53、take to scale to a second marketplace.Cheryl Channel Managermaturitylevel 2communicating the syndication challenge internallyorganizational visibilitymaturitylevel 329/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidea downhill battleSyndicating data to third-party marketplaces can be a dau

54、nting prospect.There are various challenges outside of your organization,including but not limited to the fact that each channel has its own requirements,accepted delivery methods,and best practices.All of these factors are subject to change,and for many channels,changes are frequent.Competitors are

55、 constantly optimizing their content to beat you in search,discoverability,customer experience,avoid returns and missing sales opportunities.There are a myriad of internal challenges as well.Various teams must work in sync to organize,enrich,and deliver data to each channel.Changes must be communica

56、ted to all relevant stakeholders.Metrics and KPIs need to be defined to help you understand and communicate the value delivered by all your efforts to syndicate product data to your targeted channels,as well as to guide you in finding the next best area to place your efforts in optimizing content.Te

57、chnology,when applied correctly,can provide relief on several fronts,including:A standard schema against which you can map attributes to channel requirements Automated population of channel-specific templates,and in some cases,API delivery to channel Automated feedback loops from channels that provi

58、de performance reports Consistency in your product stories across channels by leveraging a single source of truth for product information and digital assets An improved user experience to help your team enrich and optimize content in one place As you can see,syndication necessitates a programmatic a

59、pproach to account for ongoing changes by channel,the various business and technical competencies needed,and the level of investment required to ensure success can be repeatedly achieved.maturitylevel 3Interested in discussing syndication strategy?The Valtech team can help you set up successful synd

60、ication programs.Get in touch.30/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidethe syndication cyclebuild your processstart channel pilotenrich for target channelimprovetrack performancedefne assortment and level of enrichementdeliver data to channelidentify oppurtunities for improvement

61、discoverdesign&buildrun&optimizeproblem spacesolution spacemarket spacematuritylevel 331/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidemembers of the syndication teamroletaskssample skills/access neededChannel Manager Gather latest templates from retailer Choose products to syndicate Map

62、 attributes from inriver to channel requirements Confirm products are successfully syndicated on retailer site Ability to login to retailer portals Familiarity with data model Familiarity with products in inriverAdministrator Update inriver with latest template requirements Configure delivery to ret

63、ailer Familiarity with inriverPower User/Developer Leverage inriver functionality or write code to automate transformations Familiarity with data model Familiarity with inriver functionality Technical knowledge to write transformations(method varies by tool)Product Manager Enriches products with mos

64、t compelling content available Familiarity with inriver Familiarity with products in inriver Familiarity with data modelinriver Configure areas of inriver not exposed to customers/partners Support all parties Access to customers inriver instance Practical and technical expertise in inrivers function

65、alitymaturitylevel 332/34 building a syndication program|an inriver+valtech guidecheat sheet:the stakeholder matrixstepassembleconfiguremap&transformdelivermonitorowner(s)Channel Manager,Admin,or inriver Admin or inriver inriver,Admin,Developers and Channel Manager Channel Manager or Admin Channel M

66、anagertasks Download latest template from retailer portal Acquire new API parameters Review data quality report from marketplaces Configure inriver with latest template requirements Link attributes in inriver to retailer attributes Enrich attributes for retailer Transform attributes to match retaile

67、r requirements Write functions to enrich retailer-specific attributes Trigger job to publish directly to retailer(when API available)or create upload file Ensure successful delivery to retailer Confirm products appear on syndication channel Monitor channel performance Direct inriver users on further

68、 enrichment or changes to strategytiming Prior to sending each syndication When discovering data quality issues on a channel When retailer requirements change When retailer requirements change When the data type in inriver does not match retailer requirements When sending each syndication Daily/Week

69、ly as per resource availabilitymaturitylevel 3customer journeys cross channels Each channel has its own requirements that impact how your products are found onsite and displayed to customers Customers expect to see a consistent story from your brand regardless of the channel or channels they use on

70、the path to purchaseThe ChallengeSource:“Where Shoppers Say They Start Their Product Hunt:Amazon Search”,Marketing Chartswhere online shoppers start their searchAmazon63%48%33%25%21%10%8%2%Search enginesRetailer sitesOther market-placesAt the website of the brand they wantCompari-son sitesSocial med

71、ia sitesOthermaturitylevel 3Curious to learn more trends from online shoppers?Learn more from our Inside the mind of an online shopper.Ready to see inriver PIM in action?Well show you how to begin the PIM journey the right way.book a demoinriver Headquarters T:+46 40 97 38 80 Sdra Tullgatan 4 Malm,Swedeninriver US T:+1-312-291-8056 125 S Wacker Dr,#1550 Chicago,ILValtech US 416 W 13th St,#309 New York,NYAuthor credits:David Heston-Lead Consultant PXM Raphal Iscar-Head of PXM David Copeland-Senior Product Manager,inriver