Coles 360, the retail media arm of Coles Supermarkets, is partnering with Meta and Zitcha to enable Managed Partner Ads (MPA) to strengthen its off-site retail media offering.
Off-site media is estimated to be worth US$40 billion globally, and the supermarket chain is the first Australian retailer to leverage the Meta integration with Zitcha. This partnership will enable brand advertisers to connect with off-site audiences across Facebook and Instagram at scale.
New Zealand’s largest retail group, The Warehouse Group and its retail media network, MarketMedia, were the first to use Zitcha’s MPA integration, and its initial results showed up to 32 times the return on advertising spend for MPA campaigns that have run.
Meta’s MPA will provide capabilities for retailers and brand partners to track and measure off-site video and image ad performance down to the SKU level – a feature unavailable on Meta platforms for other campaigns – while safeguarding user data and delivering a direct return on advertising spend.
The MPA API feature is accessible using the Zitcha Platform. True closed-loop reporting and actionable data drive greater campaign optimisation and return on investment, and brand partners have the flexibility to leverage retailers’ brand equity by using their Facebook or Instagram handles or their own for enhanced personalisation and audience targeting.
Retail media networks deploying MPA drive web traffic and sales through brand partner-driven Facebook and Instagram ads, diversify revenue streams and extend incremental revenues by optimising off-site media channels.
GroupM predicts global advertising revenue from retail media channels will grow 9.9% to reach US$125.7 billion in 2023, hitting US$180 billion in five years and surpassing television revenue in 2028. Off-site media forms a major component of that growth, in conjunction with on-site and in-store retail media channels.
Kate Box, director, global business group retail of Meta ANZ, said the initial tests from Zitcha with recognisable Australia and New Zealand’s brands have been positive and that they are looking forward to seeing how they will evolve in the retail media space.
“It’s great to see our partners innovate with new technology and help retailers reach the right people, with the right message at the right time.
Zitcha has pioneered the first integration with Meta’s MPA API, and will work with retailers and brands around the world to extend off-site capabilities with MPA.
Troy Townsend
Troy Townsend, CEO of Zitcha, called Meta’s MPA “a game changer for retailers and brand partners” to use Meta’s channels for their off-site retail media networks.
“We are seeing massive demand from brands to move marketing dollars from traditional channels into retailers with off-site capabilities that show, in real-time, the return on advertising spend.”
Townsend added that their strong relationship with Meta has enabled Zitcha to leverage MPA for forward-thinking retail media networks MarketMedia and Coles 360 that are looking to extend and capitalise off-site media channels.
Paul Brooks, general manager of Coles 360, welcomed the partnership and said: “It will help us reach audiences beyond our own assets, expanding reach and enhanced targeting to deliver a more comprehensive advertising strategy for our supplier partners.”
Jonathan Waecker, chief customer and sales officer of The Warehouse Group said that integrating the MPA with Group’s first-party proprietary audiences, brands are able to amplify their performance metric.
“Zitcha has further revolutionised the landscape by empowering brands to be able to do this all self-service, providing real-time analytical insights at their disposal, all while in a privacy safe way,” he added.