WPP has launched ‘Everymile’, a new fully managed service that provides brands with an outsourced direct-to-consumer (DTC) ecommerce solution.
Everymile builds on WPP’s existing global omnichannel commerce capabilities in strategy, customer experience and technology development, adding demand generation, online trading and merchandising, supply chain and logistics.
The new service will be led by Mark Steel, previously Director, Retail & Consumer Industry at Google Cloud and before that Digital Director at Argos, where he worked with WPP CFO John Rogers, who is executive sponsor of Everymile. Mark is joined by an experienced leadership team drawn from a range of commerce disciplines including logistics and fulfilment, customer service, technology and CRM, and from companies including Sainsbury’s, Disney Store and ASOS.
Everymile aims to help brands to quickly overcome many of the operational challenges in ecommerce, such as lack of customer data, cost to entry and management of multiple third parties. Everymile has been built on a proprietary ecommerce technology platform by WPP’s Cloud Commerce Group, which has already helped successfully deliver complex omnichannel commerce to global brands.
The platform gives Everymile clients full ownership of their online brand experience and first-party customer data. By helping clients to bypass the lengthy journey of managing multiple partners across the value chain, it also ensures consistency across every customer touchpoint throughout the DTC experience and a transparent revenue share commercial model.
Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “The last couple of years have changed the way people shop forever. The acceleration of ecommerce, the shift to customers buying direct from brands, and the increasing importance of social in the commerce journey, have all meant that there is a demand for a fully managed service with omnichannel expertise. WPP is a leader in commerce services, with existing strength in strategy, creativity and integrated experience, and now is the perfect time to launch the Everymile service.”
John Rogers, CFO of WPP, added: “As digital penetration continues to grow at a significant rate, consumers now have even more choice and control of when and how they choose to buy. It is imperative for brands to develop an engaging, brand-led experience through which to build a direct relationship with their shoppers. At WPP we aim to deliver a unique service to our clients; building on our existing strength in commerce, Everymile provides a completely new proposition for brands – a fully managed direct-to-consumer commerce service that enables brands to successfully deliver their DTC ambitions through a strategic partnership with WPP.”
Mark Steel, CEO of Everymile, said: “Developing DTC capabilities is a strategic imperative for brands today, but we know that getting it right is complex. Everymile is there to help with those complexities, drawing upon our collective experience and expertise and helping brands short-circuit the set-up phase by using our proven go-to-market strategy, technology and partnerships. We see ourselves as a growth partner for clients, helping build brand awareness and driving online sales for them, saving both time and stress. We look forward to working with the world’s most exciting brands to deliver their DTC commerce ambitions.”
