InformationWeek

May 31, 1999

Automated Marketing

Attune helps to plan, implement, and analyze strategic marketing campaigns

By Jeff Sweat

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ttune Inc. unveiled software last week to help companies develop marketing strategies, implement marketing campaigns, and analyze their effects.

The startup calls its Attune Activity Resource Center "marketing-optimization" software in an attempt to differentiate itself from other marketing-automation vendors. The software helps users plan marketing strategies and allocate resources based on market trend analysis, revenue, customer-acquisition goals, and customer-retention targets; calculates the success of marketing campaigns; and handles the logistics of campaign planning.

That's a potent combination for EnterCitement, an entertainment company that's building a 510-acre, $160 million theme park near Indianapolis. The company will start testing the Attune software next week for its planning and implementation strategies. "Once we start turning the turnstiles, we can analyze what we've done," says Roger Kurz, EnterCitement's senior VP of marketing.

EnterCitement has done such analysis previously, he says, but "not as efficiently and effectively." For instance, as the theme park nears its completion, the company might turn to its advertising and marketing personnel to develop strategies for marketing partnerships with fast-food chains in the Midwest. The software could let the executives collaborate and share ideas, as well as tap market analysis to see which schemes are likely to work.

Once strategy and tactics are decided, the Attune software can take care of the minute details required to get marketing materials to the correct restaurants. When customers start taking advantage of promotions and entering the park's gates, the software can let EnterCitement know which locations have succeeded with the campaign.

Activity Resource Center will be available this fall. Pricing will start at $12,500.