Kroger expands reach of self-service ads in new partnership
The Kroger Co. is partnering with a major demand side advertising platform (DSP) to open its customers to targeted ads.
Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), a division of Kroger focused on connecting brand partners with shoppers and supported by its 84.51° data analytics subsidiary, is teaming up with The Trade Desk to let advertisers activate Kroger audiences directly in their existing Trade Desk seats, including display, online video and connected TV.
This new programmatic capability pre-optimizes Kroger purchase-based audiences and then uses the advertiser’s own inventory supply and rates for activation. The first iteration is launching exclusively with The Trade Desk, but KPM plans to expand to other demand-side and buying platforms in the future.
The feature is an evolution of KPM's existing self-service solution, which also measures ad effectiveness by matching ad exposure of custom audiences to in-story and online sales at Kroger. CPG chocolate product provider The Hershey Company participated in early testing and provided feedback during product development.
“Kroger Precision Marketing’s audience and sales insights are powerful tools that help advertisers minimize ad waste by enabling them to only reach relevant buyers and to hold advertising accountable to sales through measurement,” said Ben Sylvan, VP, data partnerships, The Trade Desk. “Advertisers will be able to scale verified buyer audiences across all inventory types on The Trade Desk, including connected TV.”
“Kroger won’t wait on the sidelines for the programmatic supply chain to evolve,” said Cara Pratt, senior VP of Kroger Precision Marketing. “This combination of our deterministic data with flexible buyer controls has become the new model for inspiring shoppers and reducing programmatic advertising waste.”
Kroger Co. created Kroger Precision Marketing in 2017, in an effort to apply data science to better connect CPG brands with relevant households. The retail media network sells self-service advertising on Kroger digital properties, managed-service advertising through publisher collaborations, and programmatic advertising through its private marketplace.
[Read more: Kroger expands retail media network to connected TV, video]
Based in Cincinnati, Kroger operates 2,800 stores, including more than 100 stores in Southeast Texas and Louisiana, under a variety of banners across the U.S., including Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Dillons, Smith's, King Soopers, Fry's, QFC, City Market, Owen's, Jay C, Pay Less, Baker's, Gerbes, Harris Teeter, Pick 'n Save, Metro Market and Mariano's.