To keep the industry updated between the quarterly editions of our Retail Media Report Card, Mars UnitedSM Commerce is monitoring the efforts at leading retailers and platforms to improve and expand their capabilities and services.
We’re focusing on the initiatives that are expected to impact the way advertisers effectively plan, execute, and measure their marketing programs on these networks, either directly through new behind-the-scenes tools and capabilities, or indirectly through new engagement opportunities that will enhance (or at least alter) the way they interact with shoppers.
The information covered in these updates will be used by our Commerce Media analysts to inform the network assessments presented in future editions of the Report Card.
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AD Retail Media
AD Retail Media has partnered with in-store radio provider Vibenomics to offer enhanced audio advertising opportunities in Ahold Delhaize USA supermarkets. Activation can be customized based on DMA (designated market area), product type, daypart, and local demographics. Spots will play twice per hour, which aligns with the 30-minute average trip time of AD USA shoppers.
The partners are touting speed to market as a key benefit of in-store radio, which lets advertisers quickly adjust to market conditions such as the product availability or the weather. The audio offering is part of AD Retail Media’s Connected Store initiative, which seeks to create a seamless, convenient, and complete omnichannel journey for shoppers.
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Albertsons Media Collective
Albertsons Media Collective has become the first retail media “extension partner” of Fetch Rewards, the shopping app that incentivizes a variety of behaviors. Advertisers can now leverage their investments with The Collective to incorporate Fetch programs into their plans.
The largest loyalty app in the U.S. with 11 million weekly users (according to Business of Apps), Fetch rewards shoppers for uploading their weekly store receipts and performing other tasks like trying out new products, adding more to their shopping carts, and maintaining relationships with specific brands. The company uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to dynamically target brand advertising within the app to the verified purchase history of the user.
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Amazon Ads
Amazon Ads used the forum provided by its annual unBoxed event for advertisers and vendors last month to introduce a couple-dozen new media opportunities, platform enhancements, and capabilities upgrades. The announcements exemplify Amazon’s commitment to developing user-friendly ad solutions that will help brands drive engagement and conversion across the entire purchase funnel. Mars United’s Ecommerce team identified five rollouts in particular that could significantly improve the ability of commerce marketers to drive strong growth across Amazon’s ecosystem. Read their analysis.
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DoorDash Advertising
DoorDash Advertising has introduced new omnichannel ad solutions designed to give brand partners more ways to reach the on-demand delivery operator’s 37 million monthly users.
The updates include offsite opportunities through multiple digital platforms and high-visibility placement for sponsored ads on the DoorDash app’s storefront and category pages. In addition, sponsored product ad inventory has expanded to include post-checkout opportunities with delivery orders.
Elsewhere, a partnership with Skai will allow advertisers to access DoorDash inventory through the third-party operator’s platform.
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Gopuff Ads
To support the recent rollout of an expanded fresh grocery assortment, Gopuff introduced Recipe Hub, a new in-app experience that lets shoppers browse cooking videos made by well-known social media creators, view recipes, and then buy the necessary ingredients for near-immediate delivery.
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Instacart Ads
Instacart announced three updates to its Caper Carts smart cart technology: aisle-aware advertising formats, location-based coupon offers, and gamification. While all three tools are designed to enhance the in-store experience, the first two will also help advertisers target shoppers with relevant messages while the third is meant to add some fun to the trip.
Meanwhile, an expanded partnership with the Roku TV streaming platform will provide interactive, shoppable advertising opportunities leveraging Instacart’s enhanced targeting and closed-loop measurement capabilities.
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Kroger Precision Marketing
Through a new deal with Walt Disney, Kroger is now providing top-tier members of its Boost loyalty program a free subscription to one of the entertainment giant’s three streaming platforms: ad-supported versions of Disney+ Basic or Hulu, or ESPN+. (A basic Boost membership earns a six-month subscription.)
The partnership is a win for Kroger and its Kroger Precision Marketing retail media network in multiple ways. Most obviously, it gives Kroger shoppers another incentive to buy a membership or upgrade their existing one — in a manner similar to the “boost” that Amazon’s vast streaming content library enhances Prime memberships.
But it also helps KPM by seeding Disney’s already sizable viewing audiences with Kroger’s most loyal customers, making these steaming platforms ideal venues for advertisers looking to reach the retailer’s shoppers offsite — while significantly expanding the number of Kroger shoppers on these platforms. KPM began offering ad opportunities on Disney platforms to advertisers in spring 2023.
In other activity, Kroger continues to expand its digital screen footprint by testing the technology in stores within the flagship banner’s Cincinnati division. Located in high-traffic store locations, the eye-catching, animated screens offer brands valuable test-and-learn opportunities that can deliver valuable insights to be activated when Kroger expands the capabilities more extensively.
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Walgreens Advertising Group
WAG has significantly enhanced its closed-loop measurement capabilities with third-party Criteo by incorporating offline sales reporting. Advertisers can now see both the online and in-store sales driven by sponsored product ads and Criteo-powered onsite display units, thereby gaining a more accurate snapshot of the total impact of onsite programming.
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Walmart Connect
Among the new tools announced at Walmart Data Ventures’ second annual Inspire event was the rollout of Walmart Luminate Insights Activation to all of the Luminate data platform’s charter suppliers after a successful beta launch.
Insights Activation is an automated self-serve tool that integrates Luminate with the Walmart Connect retail media network, streamlining the insights-to-activation process to help advertisers identify shopper trends and effectively target the right audiences in their media campaigns. It’s the first time that Walmart has combined Luminate with Walmart Connect.
Walmart also announced that it will rebrand Luminate as “Scintilla” in 2025. A Latin word meaning “spark,” the new name is intended to reflect Walmart’s vision for the platform’s evolution.
Scintilla is designed to help brand users leverage the retailer’s vast shopper data and insights to inform their retail strategies, from product development and shelf assortment to omnichannel and retail media marketing investments.
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Mars United Commerce is a leading global commerce marketing practice that aligns people, technology, and intelligence to make the business of our clients better today than it was yesterday. Our worldwide capabilities coalesce into four key disciplines — Strategy & Analytics, Content & Experiences, Digital Commerce, and Retail Consultancy — that individually deliver unmatched results for clients and collectively give them an unparalleled network of seamlessly integrated functions across the entire commerce marketing ecosystem. These disciplines are powered by our industry-leading technology platform, Marilyn®, which helps marketers understand the total business impact of their commerce marketing activation, enabling them to make better decisions, create connected experiences, and drive stronger, measurable results. Learn more at https://www.marsunited.com
