Peter Uzoho
The GDM Group, a marketing solution company, has launched three products aimed at helping its teeming clients (small companies and multinationals), improve their businesses and add value to the retail ecosystem using technology.
The products unveiled in Lagos at the weekend, during the firm’s 10th anniversary/clients’ appreciation dinner, included: Retailar, Retailscope, and alphageek.
Unveiling the products, the Founder of GDM Group, Mr. Victor Gbenga Afolabi, explained that the products came about from the feedback received from the clients which the company needed to respond to by creating solutions to the issues raised.
He added that the solutions were also created in response to the reality of the present business ecosystem that is driven by modern technology like big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT).
According to Afolabi, “Retailar helps merchants and shop owners source their products directly from manufacturers thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of a company’s sales efforts. Instead of receiving orders using human assets (sales reps) manually – by telephone or e-mail – orders are received digitally, reducing overhead costs.
“We are unveiling Retailar based on our experience working in retail in the last four years with our analytics and data science people, all over the country. We have finalised the beta testing and we are going fully live in March 2020, but we decided to unveil it to the ecosystem today as we celebrate GDM Group at 10 with you our esteemed clients.”
He also described Retailscope as an ‘In-House Retail Audit platform, adding that it was just like a telescope for looking at the retail space across different categories.
“What Retailscope provides for you is quantitative primary retail data about the FMCG products. It is going to be shared with people in the marketing ecosystem for free.”
Also on Alpha Geek, he said: “Alpha Geek is a subscription based solutions platform which the firm has used in the past two years for enumeration, for validation and managing point of sales material for salesmen automation like a Sales Force Automation, SFA, developed for big projects”.
Afolabi, said the GDM Group’s new identity as a marketing innovation firm puts it in a position to democratise innovation by opening up to the ecosystem.
“Why are we doing that? A Unilever, Friesland, etc., can afford to buy SFA database but smaller companies cannot buy SFAs customised for them.
“So, we are opening up based on licenses which will enable smaller brands to subscribe to Alpha Geak and deploy it to their people. These brands can use it for anything including event management, etc.
“So, these three products are complementary, they are supported by technology and they are part of the products of innovation.”
He stated that with the products, they, “expect to help more companies win at the lastmile, grow their products, increase the size of the business they do and ensure they will create value for all our partners and stakeholders as we use technology to improve their businesses and deliver value to them.”
