Centiv breaks into Europe
Europe, with the UK's Diageo becoming the first company there to
take up the online management tool.
US company Centiv has launched its Instant Impact service in Europe, with the UK's Diageo becoming the first company there to take up the online management tool.
Diageo is to start the implementation of the service with field sales representatives in England beginning in July. The Diageo UK test follows the national implementation of Instant Impact by domestic Diageo units that began late last year. Brands included in the GB test include Guinness, Smirnoff & Smirnoff Ice. Instant Impact is an online collaborative service for managing temporary signage design, printing and tracking. Signs are ordered through a Web browser and can be printed anywhere in the world.
Diageo is currently the world's largest producer of alcoholic drinks, trading in over 180 markets around the world with annual sales exceeding £10 billion (€14bn). Brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, and Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO).
"This test represents Centiv's first international market expansion and is a significant event for our company," commented Centiv's President and CEO John P. Larkin. "We are optimistic that the test will be successful and that it will lead to expansion throughout the Diageo family of international markets."
The test is primarily to resolve any potential logistical issues associated with the international implementation of the service, and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2003.
Centiv is headquartered in Vernon Hills, Illinois, and offers solutions to help companies manage their temporary point-of-purchase signage processes. The company's Web-based system aims to gain market flexibility while increasing the effectiveness of P-O-P spending.
