Retail Media Radar: September

This month’s Retail Media Radar spotlights some exciting developments across the retail media landscape, highlighting new collaborations, innovative advertising strategies, and the growth of retail media networks.

1.  Ocado Ads: A Closed-Loop Retail Media Environment  

• Ocado Retail has unveiled Ocado Ads, a cutting-edge retail media platform that provides brands with closed-loop advertising capabilities.

• The platform uses Ocado’s extensive first-party data to create highly targeted advertising campaigns, allowing brands to engage with customers at key moments during their shopping journey.

• The Ocado platform also provides tools for A/B testing and creative optimisation, allowing brands to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and refine their strategies.

• By offering real-time performance tracking, Ocado Ads provides brands with valuable insights into campaign effectiveness, enabling them to refine and optimise their strategies based on concrete data.

• Ocado Ads highlights the importance of leveraging first-party data in retail media as well as the importance of closed-loop measurement.

• This innovation marks Ocado’s entry into the growing retail media landscape, positioning it as a key player in the digital advertising space – as well as being able to offer these platform capabilities as part of it’s business-to-business platforms sales to grocers around the world.

  More information: Internet Retailing 

2. ASDA’s Cashpot for Schools

• Asda’s latest loyalty initiative allows customers to earn points on their purchases and donate a portion of those points to a chosen school.

• For every 100 points earned, customers can donate 50 points to a school.

• ASDA also provides a starting donation of £50 to each participating school and donates an extra £1 for every customer who selects a school. The program aims to support local communities and encourage customer loyalty.

• Donations equate to 0.5% of qualifying purchases, and there is no impact on personal Cashpot: Customers can still earn and use their Cashpot for their own shopping.

• ASDA are working with ParentKind to administer the funds and distribute them to the participating schools.

• ASDA  estimates donating around £7.5 million to schools through this initiative.

• With heavy above-the-line advertising support the programme is designed to raise around £7.5m for schools, whilst driving shopper frequency and basket spend.  

• By allowing customers to support local schools, ASDA strengthens its connection with the community and enhances its reputation as a socially responsible retailer.

  More information:  Asda Cashpot for Schools

3. Sainsbury’s clever in-store segmentation of Coca-Cola and Pepsi Products

• Sainsbury’s has introduced a new in-store segmentation strategy, showcasing Coca-Cola and Pepsi products in a way that highlights a variety of packaging options.

• This segmentation, designed by Sainsbury’s, offers consumers a choice between multi-packs, single-serve cans, and other formats, tailoring product placement to different consumption occasions.

• By segmenting the two brands side by side, Sainsbury’s enhances the customer experience, making it easier for shoppers to select the product that best suits their needs, whether for on-the-go, family gatherings, or other occasions.

• This approach not only increases product visibility but also drives impulse purchases by providing clear choices based on packaging size and customer preferences.

• Sainsbury’s segmentation of Coca-Cola and Pepsi demonstrates the power of strategic merchandising. By taking control of product display and offering customers a range of formats, retailers can influence buying behaviour and drive sales. This also highlights the importance for brands to work closely with retailers to ensure their products are optimally positioned to meet diverse customer needs.

  More information: LinkedIn

4. Aura Mobile: A New Loyalty Experience in Kuwait

• Alshaya Group has partnered with Ooredoo Kuwait to launch Aura Mobile, a revolutionary loyalty app that enables customers to earn and redeem points across Alshaya’s extensive portfolio of brands, including Starbucks, H&M, and The Body Shop.

• The partnership leverages Ooredoo’s mobile technology to create a seamless and rewarding experience for customers, merging retail and telco services in a way that enhances customer interaction.

• Through the app, customers can track their loyalty points, access exclusive offers, and enjoy personalised rewards, creating a digital-first loyalty experience.

• This collaboration also strengthens Ooredoo’s position as a tech enabler, offering its subscribers added value through partnerships with major retail players.

• This partnership exemplifies how brands in different sectors can join forces to enhance customer engagement and loyalty. Retailers looking to expand their loyalty programmes should consider similar cross-industry collaborations, particularly in tech, to offer customers an integrated experience that maximises convenience and engagement.

  More information: Alshaya

5. Lowe’s focuses on in-store ads and audio

• Lowe’s, the US home improvement retailer and Vibenomics centres on enhancing the in-store shopping experience at Lowe's through the use of custom audio messaging and music.

• Vibenomics, specialises in audio-out-of-home (AOOH) solutions, provides a platform that delivers targeted audio content via an in-store network.

• Vibenomics Custom In-Store Audio provides Lowe's stores with a mix of background music and localised, real-time audio messages. These messages are specifically curated to engage shoppers, highlight promotions, provide useful information, and help drive purchasing decisions.

• Vibenomics also uses targeted ads to deliver shoppers with relevant audio ads based on location and customer demographics. This can include promotions on seasonal products, specific brands, or categories like tools, appliances, or gardening items. The platform allows advertisers and brands to pay for placement of their ads within the Lowe’s stores, similar to traditional radio or in-store PA systems but more advanced and tailored.

• Vibenomics uses its cloud-based audio platform and media players to deploy, manage, and update the audio content in real-time. Lowe’s stores are equipped with these systems, allowing for seamless integration and quick adjustments to campaigns and messaging, ensuring relevance to the time of day.

  More information: Vibenomics