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Introduction
You have probably seen the graphic. The one with thousands of tiny logos crammed onto one slide, representing the "Marketing Technology Landscape."
It is overwhelming.
But if you look closely, you will notice something. Almost all of those tools are for digital marketing—email, social media, ads and SEO.
But what about the real world? What about the signs in your windows, the brochures on your counters and the uniforms your staff wears?
The marketing automation landscape often forgets about the physical side of the business.
That is where IRIS Strategic Marketing Support (IRIS) comes in. We build the automation for the stuff that actually takes up space. GearBox® by IRIS automates your supply chain, inventory and distribution just like your CRM automates your emails.
The "Digital Bias" in the Landscape
Most marketers spend their budget on digital tools because they are easy to measure. But for brands with physical locations, this leaves a huge gap.
1. The Disconnect
You have a high-tech system sending emails to customers, but your store managers are still ordering signage by sending a fax or a text message. Your digital execution is fast, but your physical execution is stuck in the 1990s.
2. Logistics Are Left Behind
Most marketing automation tools don't know how to handle shipping. They can trigger a tweet, but they can't trigger a truck. This creates a bottleneck when you try to launch a synchronized campaign.
3. Inventory Blind Spots
Digital ads don't run out of stock. Physical items do. If your automation landscape doesn't include inventory management, you risk running out of materials right when demand peaks.
Completing the Picture with Operational Automation
To have a complete marketing stack, you need to automate the physical logistics too.
GearBox® by IRIS plugs into your landscape to handle the heavy lifting:
- Automated Routing: Just like an email workflow, GearBox® routes physical orders to the right vendor based on rules you set.
- Triggered Shipments: Launching a new product? The system can automatically generate kits for every store and ship them to arrive on launch day.
- Budget Rules: Automate your approval process. If an order is under $500, let it go through. If it’s over, trigger an approval request.
- Data Integration: Feed usage data from your physical campaigns back into your main strategy.
Use Case: Ply Gem Simplifies Their Landscape
Ply Gem, a giant in the building products industry, had a complicated landscape of their own. They were managing over 20 different vendors manually to support thousands of distributors.
Their "tech stack" was basically email and spreadsheets, and it wasn't working.
They added GearBox® by IRIS to their marketing automation landscape to fix the operational side.
With the platform, they:
- Consolidated 20+ vendors into one automated portal
- Automated the flow of orders and approvals
- Gained real-time data visibility that spreadsheets couldn't provide
- Saved the team massive amounts of time on admin work
Conclusion
The marketing automation landscape is big, but it shouldn't be limited to the internet.
If you have physical stores, dealers or franchises, you need automation that works in the real world too. GearBox® by IRIS is the missing piece of the puzzle that connects your strategy to your supply chain.
Talk to IRIS to complete your marketing stack.
