Ahold Delhaize USA looks to amplify digital price promos

Ahold Delhaize USA’s Peapod Digital Labs e-commerce arm has partnered with digital marketing specialist Quotient to launch a new tool to amplify temporary price reductions (TPRs).

Mountain View, Calif.-based Quotient said yesterday that the solution, part of its Retailer Performance Media Platform, is designed to boost customer access to TPR savings through digital media. Peapod and Ahold Delhaize USA’s supermarket brands — Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Giant/Martin’s, Food Lion and Hannaford — are the first to offer the tool via their retail media platform, AD Retail Media.

The promotion amplification tool combines retailer point-of-sale and loyalty card data with weekly retailer TPR pricing feeds to target and automate digital media to specific audiences at specific times. Programmatic digital media on the Quotient-powered AD Retail Media platform, including detailed information for each promotion, uses custom creative from the brands. The delivered media amplify TPRs that advertisers are offering while the savings is available. Quotient said the sales impact of the amplified TPRs also can be tracked.

“As we think about serving omnichannel customers, we have an even greater opportunity to connect customers to savings by delivering them through all the channels customers are shopping,” according to Mark Williamson, vice president and head of media partnerships for Chicago-based Peapod Digital Labs. “As more consumers turn to digital solutions for their shopping needs, this new promotion amplification tool, which we are proud to pioneer with Quotient, enables Ahold Delhaize USA’s brands and their CPG partners to communicate time-sensitive savings to shoppers when and where they are most engaged.”

Related:Digital customer engagement on the upswing at Coborn’s

Through the Quotient solution, consumers receive digital deals while the savings are available. 

Quotient noted that the tool’s ability to trigger digital media triggered when promotions are active helps retailers like Ahold Delhaize USA generate more store trips and grow basket sizes, as well as offer advertisers a more effective way to spur sales via TPRs.

“This results in a win-win, helping customers save more and boosting incremental sales,” added Williamson. “It’s a very exciting step forward for the industry and for customers.”

Meanwhile, advertisers see a longer reach for their TPRs, targeted to larger audiences through Quotient’s consumer sales and purchase intent data.

“Our new promotion amplification tool provides consumers with increased access to savings, delivering more value at a time when many need it most,” stated Steven Boal, founder and CEO of Quotient.

Related:Weis Markets ups its digital advertising game

Beverage and food giant PepsiCo participated in a test of the new tool, for which Quotient has filed a patent.

“Quotient’s Promotion Amplification greatly expanded the reach and strength of our existing TPR weeks, which would normally only be communicated on-shelf,” commented David Li, associate shopper marketing manager at Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo. “This capability allowed us to reach shoppers digitally and notify them of an existing sale when the product might not have made the weekly ad or email. This was an effective combination of marketing and trade plans to drive a 6.4% sales lift."

On average, CPG advertisers run over 2,000 TPRs each week to drive in-store sales at grocery retailers, Quotient reported, citing its internal data. Of those TPRs, only 10% are made visible to consumers through the retailers’ weekly circular communication — meaning missed opportunities for shoppers to act on special savings and for retailers and brands to capitalize on incremental business.

“Since TPRs will be more easily accessible digitally, consumers can plan purchases better as they continue to gravitate toward a new, mixed mode of shopping, both in-store and online,” Boal noted. “We’re excited to bring to market such a valuable new tool, building on our successful Retailer Performance Media Platform and expanding it to address evolving consumer needs.”