Sainsbury’s Nectar360 unit has begun working with retail media technology company, CitrusAd, to launch a platform that enables brands and ad agencies to launch targeted sponsored product, banner advertising and return on investment (ROI) reporting and analytics across the supermarket group’s website.
Nectar360 owns and operates the Nectar loyalty programme. It also manages Sainsbury’s and Argos shopper marketing services, utilising insights, and media expertise to connect the retailer;s businesses, FMCG brands, GM brands, and their customers.
Nectar360 stated that its partnership with CitrusAd technology will lead to an enhanced understanding of Sainsbury’s e-commerce space. Through the Nectar360 Ecommerce Media Platform, brands will be able to create “customer-led e-commerce campaigns with real-time reporting that allows for insight, learnings, and in-flight campaign optimisation”. Previously advertisers could pre-buy a tenancy slot for sponsored products, but without the data and metrics to measure the effectiveness of a campaign.
It is claimed that brands will be able maximise their presence online with tailored sponsored product campaigns, ensuring they reach the right shopper in the right place at the right time. The system also provides flexibility to edit campaigns on the fly, be more reactive and ‘in the moment’, for example to take advantage of seasonal weather changes or events. It will also bring its onsite display media into this format from 2021.
Using performance-based metrics in a live reporting dashboard, Nectar360 said brand managers and advertisers will be able to measure the ROI of their campaigns at any time of day down to an individual product level and even by search term – providing more analytics and a greater understanding of how products perform on an e-commerce platform.
The move comes amid surging demand for Sainsbury’s and other retailer’s online services during the pandemic.
James Moir, Managing Director at Nectar360, commented: “We set out to create an easy to use, self-serve performance-based retail media platform that offers our brands the best in terms of digital campaign design, delivery and measurement, whilst enhancing and maintaining our customers online shopping experience. The end result is a platform powered by Nectar360 data in partnership with CitrusAd.”
Brad Moran, CEO at CitrusAd, added: “Covid lockdowns and ongoing restriction measures, particularly in the UK, has led to a change in consumption patterns and the way we shop that are unlikely to go back to the way they were before the pandemic. In the last few months retailers have seen online orders increase four or five-fold and are investing heavily in e-commerce capabilities to meet demand now and in the future.
“By partnering with leading retailers like Sainsbury’s, we can help them to more effectively monetise their digital platforms and support them in delivering the true value of e-commerce to their suppliers – and customers.”
NAM Implications:
- Extra fact-based advertising revenue streams have to attract more suppliers to the Sainsbury’s platform…
- A pointer and must-have for other mults, at least!
