Morrisons unveils retail media proposition for partner brands

Morrisons has unveiled a new retail media proposition with the launch of Morrisons Media Group, a full-service internal agency designed to help the supermarket’s supplier brands better reach its customers.

Revealed at Morrisons’ annual Supplier Conference today (22 September), the media group will allow partner brands to advertise to customers through the supermarket’s owned and external media platforms via one central function.

Brands will be able to communicate with Morrisons’ customers across its full network of stores, including both main estate supermarkets and its growing convenience store network, as well as Morrisons’ own ecommerce platform, its Amazon storefront, and rapid delivery partners.

The retailer says its agency team will create targeted, insight-led and creative advertising campaigns for brands, which “resonate with Morrisons’ customers and maximise ROI”. The campaigns will be backed by MyMorrisons loyalty data and the supermarket’s ecommerce data.

Delivered in partnership with commerce marketing specialist SMG, the service will also offer connected campaigns across third-party channels, including digital and social, plus dedicated account management, “robust” measurement of customers’ shopping journeys and clear ROI reporting.

“We want to work more closely with our suppliers on targeted, high-performing campaigns that will benefit both their businesses and our customers,” explains Morrisons’ chief customer and marketing officer, Rachel Eyre.

“The new dedicated internal agency team at Morrisons Media Group will do just that.”From ‘co-operation’ to ‘collaboration’: Will the rise of retail media reshape relationships with brands?

Experts are forecasting an explosion in retail media over the next few years, with the US market alone expected to hit more than $20bn (£17.7bn) by 2024.

Last year, British retailers Boots and Tesco both launched their own media platforms. Speaking to Marketing Week at the time, Boots CMO Pete Markey said the Boots Media Group would offer brands a “world class” media agency experience, rooted in the retailer’s rich first-party data collected on more than 17 million Advantage Card loyalty members.

Like Morrisons’ proposition, brands working with the Boots Media Group gain access to Boots-owned channels in-store and online, as well as audience and shopper insights, campaign planning and creative development. Markey said the group is central to Boots’ marketing strategy and wider business vision, and more recently said the retailer is forecasting growth in the service regardless of the current economic downturn.

The Tesco Media and Insight Platform, powered by Dunnhumby, likewise opens up the wealth of customer data the retailer collects through its 20 million Clubcard users and in-store insights to brands and agencies, and offers brands the opportunity to target its customers through its platforms.

Meanwhile, Asda’s head of media partnerships Alex Crowe has argued it is time the marketing industry embraced the opportunities retail media offers.

“Generally retail media has always been the lesser cousin of the broad media and this is a really exciting time to be in this space,” he said earlier this year.

“It feels like there’s a massive will of everyone involved – advertisers, retailers, adtech agencies – to literally go and explore this opportunity. In my head it’s like saddle up and let’s go for it, I can’t wait.”