For companies with more than one presence, it can be a challenge to figure out how best to organize for the purposes of serving the customer and doing business, both effectively and profitably. Some have espoused the notion that the best way to organize is not by channel, but rather by what works best for the customer. For example, Lisa Gavales, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Express, recently addressed this topic with regards to the business of apparel retail. It is a pertinent message to all that are in the business of selling over the Internet, especially if that Internet presence is also accompanied by a brick and mortar one.

Gavales said she was interested to discover that several times per week, there is as much traffic on the Express website as passes through the chain's 600 stores. This had a shifting effect on her perspective, causing her to view ecommerce primarily as a marketing tool, rather than as a volume driver. In fact, within the infrastructure of Express, ecommerce actually reports through marketing. Furthermore, Gavales insists that branding be consistent at every touch point the company has with its customers. Last year's holiday campaign featured bright colors, and that theme was carried across the board, not just with signage and catalogs, but also online on the company's website and Facebook page. Even the logo was temporarily modified to fit in. The new spring campaign is planned to be just as consistent.