Driving Retail Growth

Driving trial and purchase in retail to increase ROS in some of the biggest UK retailers.

Objective

Drive trial and purchase for a newly listed challenger brand in retail.

Action

In addition to managing the brand on Amazon, and it’s own D2C, I also managed promo cycles and media buying in some of the biggest UK supermarkets.

With limited brand awareness the goal was to increase awareness, drive trial and increase ROS while building strong retailer relationships to secure long-term success.

  • Conducted full digital brand audit across digital platforms to ensure consistent, accurate product listings. Identifying and correcting outdated content and inconsistencies.

  • Carried out in-store audits to assess shelf positioning and stock availability and gauge any potential issues (this included liaising with a third party).

  • Developed a bespoke sales tracker by SKU and retailer to monitor short and long-term performance, enabling fast data-led decision-making.

  • Allocated and managed the annual retail media budget using a campaign planning framework aligned to commercial targets.

  • Planned and booked media to align with promotions and brand moments (including OOH bursts and key retail periods such as Christmas).

  • Collaborated with retailers to deliver large-scale media activations (including complex in-store hot sampling with branded uniforms, artwork, logistics management, equipment, and stock coordination).

  • Garnered insights through various data available (e.g. consumer behaviour).

  • Tested and optimised retail media channels, assessing impact cost, and ROI to inform future investment.

  • Tested and optimised PPC activity on platforms like Citrus to increase visibility, drive sales and support listings.

Result

  • Increase in base and promo ROS.

  • Strong positive feedback from retailers, customers, and internal teams who were impressed by the impact and execution of hot in-store sampling activity.

  • Positive reception from retailers during media plan presentations, supporting stronger collaboration and future activity.

  • Increase in consumer awareness and trial.

  • Understanding of what media and promotions work in retail for the client.

  • Helped to win listings and confidence to become the UK’s fastest-growing coffee brand 2022.

Behind the scenes, each media placement brings its own workflow and challenges, from adapting to last-minute creative changes to navigating complex activations. Some activations required detailed store-level targeting, while others involved additional layers like coordinating additional third parties for things like couponing.

Being able to be responsive in securing extra media through grocery publications further supported broader awareness and PR as well as gaining industry recognition.