BUSINESS WIRE JUNE, 07, 2000 09:46 AM ET - The Gantry Group, LLC, e-Business architects to e-commerce companies, e-marketplaces and corporate Internet initiatives, today launched its e-Business Market Validation Practice, dedicated to conducting primary research to help companies develop and market their online products and services that match the value, preferred channel, and pricing needs of their targeted markets.

"Many brick and mortar companies migrating to the Internet assume incorrectly that their target customer will be the same as their offline customer base, and are unprepared for the new market demographic, pricing, and support requirements the online buyer expects," said Dawna L. Paton, a partner at the Gantry Group. "The combination of market immaturity and fast-paced change that are the hallmarks of the Internet has led to a plethora of secondary market research reports--all with widely disparate data."

Ms. Paton said that by designing customized market research programs, the Gantry Group's e-Business Market Validation Practice will provide critical information about market acceptance and market size, both of which have a major impact on every aspect of strategic marketing and product development. The growing need for Internet research services will create a $10 billion market by the year 2004.

"Our mission is to ensure that a company's business and marketing strategies are compatible with market demand--in terms of positioning and messaging, features and functionality, perception of value proposition, price structure, branding strategy and effective sales channels," Ms. Paton said. "Our team of experts employs proven market research and analysis methodologies such as on/off-line surveys, on/off-line focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. We pull the results through into actionable strategies and meaningful recommendations expressly tuned to individual corporate situations--all at the speed and cost-effectiveness enabled by the Internet."

Ms. Paton said companies often omit the important step of "asking the customer" to gauge interest, set pricing, and communicate the value proposition. The Gantry Group will help companies find answers to those questions and develop their optimal business model.. "We are providing recommendations to our clients based on objective market insights so they can implement more effective, highly targeted marketing strategies. Getting the right product to the right customer at the right price is vitally important to any business with an eye to profitable operation," added Ms. Paton.

With over 40 years of collective experience designing and implementing winning marketing strategies, Gantry Group experts combine a disciplined methodology for analyzing customer needs and predicting market response with in-depth knowledge of the Internet business dynamics. The outcome of this new practice is a practical, realistic framework of solutions that allows the client to confidently implement the marketing programs required to achieve their objectives.

About The Gantry Group
The Gantry Group, a Concord, Mass.-based "hands on" team of e-business architects, helps clients launch sustainable new Internet businesses and initiatives that harness the latest Internet trends, approaches and technologies. Since its foundation in 1997, the Gantry Group has assisted more than 85 clients with emerging "dot.coms", e-Marketplaces, enabling Internet technologies and BAM (brick-and-mortar) retailers integrate e-commerce initiatives. The Gantry Group helps e-commerce companies build value by developing customized e-business blueprints that map strategy to actionable initiatives. The Gantry Group's proven methodologies help clients digest the total impact of the Internet to maximize revenue, profits and valuation, efficiently reach the target market, and clearly differentiate from the competition. For more information, visit our website: www.gantrygroup.com.

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KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS E-COMMERCE INTERNET NETWORKING SOFTWARE

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