From the last mile to the last aisle: Omnicom Media Group implements first programmatic PMP for retail screens
Omnicom Media Group, Digiday has learned, has established an outward-focused programmatic private marketplace that operates some 80,000 point-of-sale screens across multiple environments with the goal of giving OMG customers privileged or exclusive access to the location-based inventory that’s as close to the point of purchase as possible.
Heard of the “last mile” in retail marketing? This represents the proverbial “last alley”.
The pandemic of the past two years may have kept many people from shopping from home, but that hasn’t stopped retailers and a slew of local media companies from investing millions in screens located in or close to shops. Companies like GSTV and Volta, Cooler Screens and GroceryTV continue to expand their network of screens, delivering content and advertising to consumers in stores, gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations and more.
Some of this location-based media network inventory is now available programmatically for the first time, prompting the media agency network to create the PMP, said Megan Pagliuca, Omnicom’s director of enablement. Media Group, which noted that the market went live today (April 8).
“The benefits of programmatic around measurement, targeting, ease of testing, etc., create this huge opportunity for brands to be able to drive ROI by reaching consumers, just when they’re about to. to buy and when they’re near the product in the store,” Pagliuca said.
She said the creation of the programmatic PMP allows OMG customers to have more control over purchase screens that they can secure near or adjacent to their products in store, unlike buying directly from the networks. , which do not guarantee the same proximity.
“We have been able to capture and effectively exploit these trends when [they’re] still inside [their] early childhood, and having the first offering of programmatic point-of-sale displays on the market,” added Pagliuca. “And then we’ve secured exclusive inventory that you can only buy through us if you buy it that way.”
Regarding the retention of location-based networks selected to be part of the PMP, Jill Schnitt, President of OMG’s Outdoor Media Group, cited technology, the best possible inventory, and “measurement opportunities to show that what we put on the market helped influence all decision-making. too,” she said.
The Media Agency Network has exclusive 90-day access to programmatic inventory with Cooler Screens and GroceryTV and 90-day “priority access” to Volta, as well as non-exclusive access to GSTV’s programmatic inventory ( gas stations) ; Lightbox (shopping malls); NRS Digital Media (convenience stores); Velocity (movie theaters); Screenverse Essential (groceries and retail stores); and Starlite (grocery store, pharmacy, liquor stores and outdoor retail centers).
Jay Pattisall, global agency analyst at Forrester, credits OMG’s PMP approach with “their ability to gauge audiences and inventory using their audience platform.” But he was quick to add, “The technology-driven, transaction-driven market advantage is a temporary advantage. Media and marketing technology is an arms race. Competitors always catch up or jump into the next one.
“The real value is in the unique services and solutions that can be developed as a result of these types of limited exclusivity agreements,” Pattisall continued. “What CMOs and media managers should be looking for is the learning that comes from it and how to apply that information in a scalable way in an environment where they will be bidding against competitors.”
Media partners in the OMG deal believe they solve some of these issues for CMOs.
“We recently surveyed grocery shoppers and found that 95% of them still regularly visit physical stores to get their groceries,” said Nolan Johnson, Director of Advertising Partnerships for GroceryTV. “Omnicom’s new marketplace offers both mainstream and non-endemic brands the opportunity to bridge the gap between online and in-person retail media and gain real-world attention.”
“Everyone benefits when shoppers have information at their fingertips when making buying decisions,” added Arsen Avakian, co-founder and CEO of Cooler Screens. “Cooler Screens programmatic content activates consumer intent on shelf during its moment of truth. Now, Omnicom can leverage Cooler Screens’ in-store retail media network to measure attribution throughout the consumer’s journey to purchase, from online to offline.
And, in theory, this captured attention will inspire purchase.
“It’s our job to listen to the market and understand what it needs from a solutions perspective,” said Sean McCaffrey, CEO of GSTV. “Retail media has just exploded, and in its simplest form, it draws a straighter line between investment and sales. Ultimately, it’s conversion-driven media, meant to drive sales Our audience [offers] a highly contextual moment right before purchase in so many retail stores.
Comments are closed.