Learn how TUA – GA.MA Italy revolutionized its e-commerce strategy in Latin America with the help of Known Online and the implementation of Cross Border’s VTEX project.
Cross Border Case Study
Challenge: Expanding local success on an international scale
TUA – GA.MA Italy, a professional cosmetics company with a regional presence in Europe and the United States, faced the challenge of taking its successful e-commerce model from Chile to several Latin American countries. This represented a major challenge for the brand as it needed a solution that would not only adjust to local differences, but could also offer effective support in each country.
“The idea was to migrate the model we had in Chile with an already functioning eCommerce, with a VTEX Legacy but VTEX at the end and bring this model from Chile to Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay and Brazil. The challenge was to implement a VTEX system in all these countries. As they are a mix, here in Argentina the TUA model was transferred because we have the possibility of having a wider range of products and more brands. In the case of Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and Uruguay we went with GA.MA Italy. Although we only commercialize GA.MA the model is similar, the idea is the same, he explained. Agustín Uriona, eCommerce Manager of TUA – GA.MA Italy.
The Solution: Known Online and Cross Border expertise with support in each country
Known Online, recommended for its successful work in Chile, emerged as the perfect partner to tackle the challenge of implementing a VTEX model in multiple Latin American countries. Known Online not only had experience in the Chilean market, but also provided cross-border support throughout the region.
“We met Known Online through an internal recommendation since Javier, the eCommerce Manager in Chile was already working with the agency and with good results. We started working with the agency at the end of 2021. We launched in Argentina the first page of this combo in May 2022. It was followed by Mexico which was launched approximately 4 months ago and now we have Peru which was launched two weeks ago, very recently”.
And the eCommerce Manager also added: “We chose Known Online because the internal recommendation helped a lot because we already knew it was an agency that worked well with Chile, and then for the fact that they had experience and presence in the whole region. Our idea was to have an agency that could give us support in all countries. In other words, it should not only be an agency that implements in Argentina or Chile, but one that has knowledge of how to do things in each country and that can provide support. We know that many agencies offer support but do not have it. That was the core of the search and the choice: to find an agency that can give us this Cross Border support”.
Project results Cross Border
The TUA – GA.MA Italy team embraced a radical change by migrating from a full commerce model to an internally managed VTEX IO model, seeking to improve profitability. This change implied the creation of an internal e-commerce team in Argentina to support all countries involved. The transformation was profound and from the conception of the project, it meant a resounding change in the business model.
“We started directly with VTEX IO. The change was total because we were coming from a full commerce model in which it was managed directly by an agency, so nothing was managed internally. And this was a total change because we had to put together an ecommerce team in Argentina to be able to help all the countries. From the conception of the project, it was a complete change in the model of what we had been doing.“.
In one year of collaboration, TUA – GA.MA Italy and Known Online made significant progress. In just six to seven months, they achieved sales targets for the entire year in Argentina. In addition, with the recent launch in Mexico, Brazil and Peru, the growth potential in the region looks promising.
“As for what is agency and VTEX, the truth is. the results were great. So far this calendar year (as of July) in Argentina we have already reached our annual sales target for the whole of 2023. And as for the region as a whole, such as Mexico, Brazil and Peru, which only recently came out, from what we have seen there is a lot to do and we believe it can go very well“, he explained. the eCommerce Manager.
Active listening and conflict resolution
The relationship with Known Online was characterized by active listening and a focus on the solution. When an issue arose with the Product Owner, the agency demonstrated commitment and flexibility by addressing the problem constructively. This experience solidified trust and strengthened the relationship with the brand.
In Agustín’s words: “Something that stands out a lot is that at one point we had an issue with the PO we had, we were not very good because of some errors and we raised it with the partners of Known Online and I always appreciate that there was a change when we raised it. It was a milestone for the relationship with the agency, because there was an active listening from the other side and a solution (which was not a change of PO but a work in between) and we felt very comfortable because there was an active listening and things were done as they had to be done. It is key to have a partner who is attentive, who listens to the problems and who really wants to solve them and who does not try to find the quickest solution. It was a moment where the work we were doing took a 180-degree turn.”
Positive results, humane treatment and proactivity: 3 keys to continue working together for continued growth
The choice of Known Online as a strategic partner remained a wise decision for TUA – GA.MA Italy. The agency stood out for its ability to understand and manage the internal complexity of a large company.
“We continue to choose the Known Online agency because we are all very satisfied with the work, from the technical to the human touch, This is also a key point because as we are a large company, we know that we are not easy to work with because we have a lot of internal bureaucracy, but the agency understands this, they support us in those times and it is a very positive point. The human touch is also very important.
In addition, Known Online continued to propose innovative ideas and show constant advances, which ensured continued growth in the competitive e-commerce landscape: “We see advances all the time, they propose new ideas to us, in one year the store totally changed to what it was and that was the idea we had of evolution and growth and Known Online accompanies us.”
