Ocado offers brands first-party data across all channels

Online shopping giant Ocado is opening up its first-party behavioural data to marketers, in a move designed to enable brands to reach consumers across the open Internet and fast growing channels such as connected TV and digital out of home.

The move is the result of a new partnership with The Trade Desk, which claims the deal is a “first” for the UK’s grocery retail industry, as Ocado will be the only grocer to give direct access to its customer data, allowing marketers to optimise their audiences and attribute campaigns.

It is also claimed that Ocado suppliers and The Trade Desk’s clients will be able to leverage Ocado’s first-party audiences to precisely reach in-market shoppers and drive key marketing objectives, such as customer acquisition to build brand loyalty over time.

Furthermore, targeted campaigns can be optimised using Ocado data to close the loop between advertising spend and sales.

The duo maintain this new partnership makes it easier for brands to reach the right audience across the open Internet and beyond and marks a significant development in comparison to existing on-site solutions, where ad campaigns only run on retailer-owned inventory.

The Trade Desk argues that new sources of audience data that are intrinsically linked to a user without reliance on third-party cookies will be critical as the industry moves toward new approaches to identity on the open Internet.

Ocado’s first-party data is future-proofed for the opt-in Internet, where media will instead be transacted independent of third-party cookies.

Trade Desk vice-president of data partnerships EMEA and APAC Steve Martin said: “Retail media is redefining marketing, and our partnership with Ocado presents an incredible opportunity for brands to improve the effectiveness of their adspend by accurately targeting high-value shoppers, as well as benefiting the end consumer through relevant advertising.

“The Trade Desk was built on innovation and a desire to drive the industry forward. We are proud to join forces with a company that is pioneering new standards in their industry.”

Ocado Retail adtech and data partnerships lead Ben O’Mahoney said: “As the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, we’re delighted to be the first UK grocer to offer these unparalleled data-matching opportunities.

“Our partnership with The Trade Desk will help marketers better target and connect with customers in real-time with actionable insights, and we’re excited to be pioneering this new approach in the industry.”

Retail media is one of the fastest-growing sectors within the digital advertising industry, with spend forecast to grow from €8bn (£6.9bn) to £21bn (€25bn) in Europe by 2026, as more and more brands turn to the sector to target consumers.

A recent study from IAB Europe and Xandr Microsoft revealed that 92% of advertisers and 74% of agencies are already partnering with retailers and of those who have not yet engaged, 88% of advertisers and 77% of agencies plan to do so in the 12 months.