Peapod optimizes promotions with new platform

Peapod Digital Labs is partnering with Quotient on a new promotion amplification tool as part of the vendor’s Retailer Performance Media Platform. 

As Ahold Delhaize USA’s digital, e-commerce and commercial engine, Peapod Digital Labs partnered with Quotient to spearhead the solution and Ahold Delhaize USA’s local brands, which together comprise the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast, are the first to offer it through their retail media platform, AD Retail Media.  

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

The promotion amplification tool — for which Quotient has filed a patent — combines retailer point-of-sale and loyalty card data with weekly retailer TPR pricing feeds to target and automate digital media to the right audiences at the right time. This triggers programmatic digital media on Quotient’s media platform that includes the accurate and specific information for each promotion and leverages flexible, custom creative from the brand. Media is delivered to granular audiences to amplify the TPR that the advertiser is offering that week, only while it is available. Performance of the amplified TPR can be tracked through to the impact on sales.

“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,” said Mark Williamson, VP and head of media partnerships for 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. This results in a win-win, helping customers save more and boosting incremental sales. It’s a very exciting step forward for the industry and for customers.”

On average, CPG advertisers run over 2,000 TPRs each week to drive in-store sales at grocery retailers. Of those TPRs, only 10% are made visible to consumers through the retailers’ weekly circular communication. As a result, shoppers may not be aware of many on-sale items available to them, and brands and retailers may miss an opportunity for incremental store trips and increased basket sizes.

"Quotient’s Promotion Amplification greatly expanded the reach and strength of our existing temporary price reduction weeks, which would normally only be communicated on-shelf,” said David Li, associate shopper marketing manager at PepsiCo, which participated in a test of the new tool. “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."

The promotion amplification tool aims to drive omnichannel awareness of all TPRs through automated and measurable digital media triggered when the promotion is active. This, in turn, generates incremental store trips and increased basket sizes. The new offering provides incremental benefits to advertisers and retailers alike. For advertisers, it increases the reach of their TPRs to larger audiences that are targeted through Quotient’s exclusive consumer sales and purchase intent data. For retailers that partner with Quotient, promotion amplification provides an exclusive capability to offer advertisers a more effective and efficient way to drive sales through TPRs.

Ahold Delhaize USA is a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize and the parent company for Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. companies, including Food Lion, Giant Food, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop, as well as e-grocer Peapod; Retail Business Services, a U.S. support services and private brand developer to the brands; and Peapod Digital Labs, its e-commerce engine.