01 Sep Know TEMPOE: 5 Questions For Amanda Costanzi
With more than a decade of marketing experience, TEMPOE CMO Amanda Costanzi knows how to create customer relationships that build repeat business. We sat down with her to discuss TEMPOE.
How is the TEMPOE brand being received by your existing business partners? What about with new prospects?
We traveled to Charleston in June to unveil our new brand to our top 20 customers, who loved it and are really excited about the direction we’re moving. In fact, the reaction to TEMPOE has been overwhelmingly positive, across the board. From employees and existing retailers to merchant prospects and vendors, everyone is really eager to see all the new program offerings and service enhancements we’re rolling out. JR Zirkelbach, SVP Sales, said this to me, “My retailers are excited about the upcoming launch of the PACE Rewards spiff program for their associates. They know that extra spending on a reloadable Visa card will motivate their team members to continue offering and processing TEMPOE agreements.” TEMPOE is not just a new logo on an old company — it represents new offerings, features and functionality, and can encompass more financial services than WhyNotLeaseIt brought to the market.
Speaking of the new logo, though, our clients and consumers really seem to like the new look and feel. I’ve been told that the new brand is modern, clean and something they can get behind. Feedback indicates that putting the “e” at the end of the name doesn’t change the readability or cause people to mispronounce it, but rather gives a proprietary twist on a meaningful word. All in all, the new brand is a big WIN!
What marketing channels are you using to reach your audience? How about your customers’ customers?
In an attempt to reach our audience in the way that feels most relevant to them, TEMPOE uses multiple marketing channels. We make it a point to communicate throughout the relationship lifecycle with our retailers, as well as with their customers. Digitally, we host content on three different social media platforms, which includes the creation of videos and interactive graphics. We also have a public-facing website, three user portals and multiple landing pages to drive campaigns and promotions. All of our web-based marketing is mobile-responsive and we are working on mobile app strategies. TEMPOE customizes ecommerce experiences for online retail partners and advertises on dozens of retailer resource sites, as well as in print publications. Our physical marketing materials range from a plethora of printed point-of-purchase displays and handouts, to large format exhibits for tradeshows and events, to tailored signage for brick-and-mortar retail locations.
One of the key differentiators of the TEMPOE marketing program is the TEMPOE Outlet. On this portal, we allow retailers to customize their marketing materials with industry-specific imagery and variable text options. Donovan, one of our Detroit retailers, recently said, “Having the TEMPOE Outlet at our disposal has made marketing and advertising as simple as a click of a button. Being able to customize marketing materials is a tool that all retailers should take advantage of immediately. As a furniture/mattress retailer, we can create our own marketing strategy that fits our customer base.” The ordering system allows each retailer to obtain the right number of marketing materials in the appropriate sizes for their store layout and available display space.
What does TEMPOE do to support retailers online or in their current technology platforms?
Ecommerce is a big play for many of our current customers, as well as for many of our prospects. It’s important that TEMPOE be able to drive more consumer transactions in both the brick-and-mortar environment and on ecommerce sites. Our ready-made system integration platform, inTEMPOE, enables eTailers to list TEMPOE as a tender type at checkout. Imagine how easy it is for a consumer to select TEMPOE, instead of paying with a credit card or PayPal, with just the click of a button!
inTEMPOE is a flexible platform that also integrates with point-of-sale (POS) applications and in-store kiosks. What this means is that TEMPOE makes it easy for retailers to process consumer transactions without extensive systems development, violating customer privacy standards or having to prioritize the integration of one system over another. Scott Pratt, CIO of TEMPOE, described this platform as “groundbreaking.” From what we have seen from our customers who have experienced inTEMPOE thus far, Scott’s assessment is right on target.
You mentioned earlier that TEMPOE represents more than a logo – that it is about new offerings. Can you elaborate on what that means?
Of course! In addition to the TEMPOE Outlet, which provides retailers with customizable marketing materials, TEMPOE remarkets on behalf of our retail partners to drive repeat business to their stores. Beyond the new technology of inTEMPOE and responsive web builds, TEMPOE will also be adding live chat functionality to both the retailer and consumer portals this fall. TEMPOE’s no credit required shopping is more flexible than competitor programs because we offer early purchase options, a choice in payment plans and we now allow concurrent agreements with unused approval amounts. One of the greatest enhancements to retailer servicing is our PayPULSE automated funding program, which delivers hassle-free, reliable funding to retailers after each consumer transaction. We’ve also launched PACE Rewards, a new retailer reward and incentive program that puts money in the retailer’s pocket for every confirmed TEMPOE agreement they generate.
I am really proud of the business for ensuring that TEMPOE represents such a broad range of improvements and new offerings.
How does TEMPOE measure business success?
Our financial performance is measured primarily on EBITDA, but our total performance is really measured in customer satisfaction. We have proven that profitability follows engagement — meaning that it is our responsibility to deliver programs that drive the success of our retailers, so they will drive associates to offer the program and increase sales. As we continue our focus on innovation, we will see more ecommerce activity, so online metrics will be a key success measure, as well. We’re excited to report we’re exceeding our goals by a long shot and thereby forcing the business to re-evaluate what success looks like in the future.