IGA, Ideal Launch Media Network for Independent Retailers
The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA), an American chain of grocery stores that operate under a franchise model, has entered into a marketing agreement with Ideal by Design House to provide an on- and off-platform retail media network designed especially for independent retailers.
The CPG-funded network is available to all independent retailers, not just the IGA family of stores, at no cost, according to a media release from Ideal.
“When brands go to invest their media dollars, there is no reason for independent retailers to be left out,” John Ross, president and CEO of IGA, said in the release. “Already IGA and Ideal have one of the largest media properties in the U.S., and we have proven that brand and shopper marketing teams at big brands want to invest in our stores. The Ideal network takes it to a whole new level, combining the negotiating power of thousands more independents to challenge anything national grocery chains offer.”
The Ideal Retail Media Network will combine thousands of stores on a single platform and offer on- and off-platform ad placements. CPG manufacturers’ ads are co-branded with consumers’ preferred neighborhood stores, leveraging shoppers’ loyalty across multiple retailers. CPGs can access advanced measurement capabilities and reporting on in-store traffic, return on ad spend (ROAS), basket size and category growth, among other insights.
Additionally, leveraging an “omnichannel distribution system” and digital media technology, Ideal integrates savings, informational videos, sweepstakes, recipes, nutritional tips and other marketing capabilities to lift grocery shopper engagement, store traffic and sales.
“Ideal helps CPGs focus on their target retail audiences with off-site, co-branded programmatic display campaigns, while driving traffic to rich on-platform content within branded local digital circulars,” Adam Zimmerman, partner and senior vice president at Ideal, said in the release. “Consumers are always looking to be smarter about the food they buy for their family. This technology allows us to serve their needs at all stages of the shopper journey by integrating rich media and promotions into a single mobile platform. And best of all, both CPGs and retailers see the results with detailed analytics, following the customer journey from initial impression through in-store transactions.”
CPGs can choose a target audience across multiple retailers via the advertising platform. Co-branded ads aim to attract shoppers to digital circulars, which aim to drive traffic to the stores. Ideal measures traffic from first impression to the in-store purchase as a way to provide CPGs with more visibility of the entire ecosystem.