Global eCommerce Launch

THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE

The entire world may speak the language of sport, but when it comes to e-commerce, things get a little more complicated. The unrivaled global marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment decided to consolidate and enhance its digital commerce group into one, neat, all-encompassing site. But they needed help shoehorning the needs of 19 countries speaking six languages and utilizing more than 30 payment methods into one do-it-all, go-to online shopping experience. That’s when we got called in.

The first hurdle: Stakeholders

With decision-makers in different parts of the globe, each representing multiple business units, ACME was more den mother than project hub. Keeping everyone on the same page, keeping the project moving forward and keeping everyone happy was no mean feat, but it was essential to overcoming hurdle number two.

The second hurdle: Time

The new site needed to go live in time for the holidays (which were fast approaching). An aggressive schedule meant we needed to manage the project timeline with tight reins. As the single point of contact for the effort, we kept teams aligned on role, responsibilities and, of course, deadlines.

The final hurdle: Technology

A globe-spanning e-commerce solution is inherently complex. Front-end agency, internal tech teams, offshore testers and a cadre of other vendors were all working on a complex technical architecture. This also made a Herculean effort out of overall systems integration and testing. But we managed to bring all the moving parts together as one coherent unit and focus everyone on the end goal.

The finish line

The site launched globally on time and on budget, and the client earned record revenue in both U.S. and European markets. The site has also become a centerpiece for the company’s e-commerce efforts, and it’s being extended into more markets around the world. But, most importantly, on holiday mornings around the globe, little faces beamed with the international language of happiness.