Executive Summary

The Challenge:
Launch a premium salty lager into a declining beer market, overcoming traditional preferences and growing brand share.

The Insights:
Small shifts in shopper behavior and taste preferences can unlock big wins—if targeted at the right time and place.

The Strategic Build:
Predictively target curiosity-driven audiences online and close conversions with real-time, in-store omnichannel engagement at peak relaxation moments.

Bringing the Strategy to Life:
Consistent mobile, web, screen, and radio activations dynamically aligned with life stages, shopping missions, and high-propensity buying windows.

The Results:
+22% brand sales uplift across the portfolio, 10,562 extra units sold, and a strong foothold built for Birra Moretti’s premium positioning.

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Introduction: Bringing a Mediterranean Twist to a Challenging Market

Romania’s beer market is in decline, squeezed by shrinking consumption, price wars, and a shift toward wine and spirits .
Traditional lager tastes dominate, and even premium options often fight over price gaps of less than €0.20.

Into this tough environment entered Birra Moretti Sale di Mare — a premium Italian lager with a subtle sea salt infusion.
To succeed, Birra Moretti needed more than good taste—it needed to ignite curiosity, drive first trial, and make the premium story stick.

Using Footprints AI’s predictive audience profiling, dynamic omnichannel execution, and real-time sales attribution, Birra Moretti didn’t just launch a variant.
It turned a small drop of sea salt into a powerful wave of new sales.

Challenge, Context & Objectives

The Challenge: Launching a Premium Innovation in a Shrinking Market

Romania’s beer market was facing serious headwinds:

• Consumption declining 6–7% per year .

• Growing consumer migration to wine and spirits.

• Relentless competition in the lager category with minimal price differentiation.

Against this backdrop, Birra Moretti introduced Sale di Mare—a premium lager infused with a hint of Mediterranean sea salt.

While differentiated, this innovation faced two major barriers:

• Taste perception: Traditional beer drinkers wary of new flavors.

• Market trends: Declining category consumption and price wars favoring mass brands.

The challenge was not just to generate awareness—it was to trigger trial, drive purchase at shelf, and establish Birra Moretti’s premium leadership without falling into a price-driven fight.

Business and Marketing Objectives

Business Objective:
Achieve significant sales uplift for Birra Moretti Sale di Mare and strengthen the full portfolio’s performance.

Marketing Objective 1:
Capture significant share of voice in top retail chains (Profi - Ahold Delhaize and Auchan).

Marketing Objective 2:
Build trial and loyalty among new, curiosity-driven shoppers.

Activity (Campaign) Objective:
Establish consistent omnichannel presence and measure real-time conversions via SKU-level attribution.

Why It Mattered

This wasn’t just about selling a few seasonal beers.

Success would:

• Strengthen Birra Moretti’s premium credentials in a highly commoditized market.

• Lay the foundation for loyalty among a valuable segment of young, experimental, higher-income shoppers.

• Prove that small innovations, when amplified by smart, predictive media, can drive massive impact even in declining categories.

Insights & Strategy

Understanding the Shopper: Curiosity and Premium Discovery Behaviors

Footprints AI’s predictive profiling uncovered a critical truth:
In a market of traditional tastes, a subtle invitation to discover something new can be irresistible—if timed perfectly.

Top Audience Segments for Birra Moretti Sale di Mare:

• Young Professionals:
  Curious, open to small luxuries, seeking premium yet accessible experiences after work.

• DINKs (Dual-Income No Kids):
  Social buyers, willing to explore novel, conversation-starting products for gatherings.

• Families:
  Casual treat-seekers—open to small surprises that elevate daily routines without major cost barriers.

Key Behavioral Triggers:

• Weekend Party Planning:
  Searching for new additions to impress guests.

• After-Work Relaxation:
  Seeking something refreshing and different after a busy day.

• Social Shopping Moments:
  Picking up treats for casual home gatherings or weekend dinners.

The Insight: Small Twists Create Big Breakthroughs

The core insight fueling the campaign was simple but powerful:

"When you offer familiar experiences with a subtle twist, you unlock new behavior without requiring major change."

Traditional beer shoppers didn’t need a radical reinvention.
They needed a small, intriguing shift—a drop of sea salt—to spark exploration without overwhelming loyalty to classic lagers.

Thus, the strategy framed Sale di Mare not as strange, but as:

• A richer, authentic experience.

• A simple upgrade to everyday beer choices.

• A story to share during social moments.

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Strategic Build: Dual Activation Model — Predict ➔ Capture ➔ Convert

Birra Moretti’s retail media journey was orchestrated through two interlocking, predictive engines:

1. Predictive Online Targeting:

• Identify curiosity-driven segments based on historic basket analysis, loyalty data, and online engagement (e.g., browsing wine, premium foods, or craft beers).

• Deliver tailored mobile, app, and web ads right before shopping trips—framing Sale di Mare as the next refreshing discovery.

2. Real-Time In-Store Behavioral Targeting:

• Activate dynamic digital screens and in-store radio precisely during:

• After-work traffic spikes (5–7 PM at Profi - Ahold Delhaize).

• Weekend social stock-ups (Saturday afternoons at Auchan).

• Sync messaging tone ("Ready for a richer taste?") with shopping missions like gathering supplies for guests or relaxing evenings.

3. Amplification:

• Use lookalike modeling to retarget similar shoppers after the first wave of trial purchases, expanding customer acquisition without increasing spend dramatically.

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Bringing the Strategy & Idea to Life

Predictive Omnichannel Activation: Sparking Curiosity, Converting in Store

Footprints AI engineered Birra Moretti’s shopper journey through three key stages:

1. Mobile & Online Priming (Pre-Store)

Before shoppers even set foot in stores:

• Retailer app banners (Profi - Ahold Delhaize, Auchan) highlighted Sale di Mare’s Mediterranean refreshment.

• Mobile push notifications targeted after-work hours, sparking curiosity:

"Discover a new flavor. Try Birra Moretti Sale di Mare today."

• Web display ads timed before weekend grocery runs, positioning Sale di Mare as a premium discovery for social gatherings.

2. In-Store Real-Time Activation

At the shelf, behavior-based targeting closed the gap:

• Dynamic Digital Screens at Profi - Ahold Delhaize and Auchan:

• Highlighted Sale di Mare during high footfall windows (5–7 PM weekdays, weekend afternoons).

• Delivered short, vibrant messages linking freshness to Mediterranean authenticity.

• In-Store Radio Ads reinforced the brand story during browsing phases, reminding shoppers that

"A drop of sea salt creates more flavor. Discover Birra Moretti Sale di Mare."

3. Live Optimization

Throughout the campaign:

• Real-time sales data shifted screen frequencies to high-performing times and locations.

• Budget reallocations prioritized stores and hours delivering strongest uplift (especially Saturday afternoons).

• Lookalike Retargeting expanded to similar shoppers who hadn’t yet purchased but shared buying behaviors.

Dynamic Creative: Consistency and Curiosity at Every Touchpoint

Every element of the campaign reinforced the premium positioning and discovery theme:

Examples of Key Messaging by Touchpoint:

• Mobile Push Notifications:
  "Not just a beer. A refreshing discovery. Try Sale di Mare today."

• Retailer App Banners:
  "Ready for more flavor? A drop of sea salt changes everything."

• In-Store Screens:
  "End your day with a taste of the Mediterranean."

• In-Store Screens:
  "Bring something new to your table. Birra Moretti Sale di Mare."

All visuals embraced:

• Crisp blue and golden tones (Mediterranean feel).

• Sea and salt elements subtly woven into packaging and visuals.

• The "A SMALL DROP OF SEA SALT" tagline at every shopper-facing asset.

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Precision Channel Strategy: Behavior-Driven, Moment-Specific

Rather than spreading budget evenly, media placements were precision-mapped to buying moments:

Results

Real Results: Driving Discovery, Sales, and Brand Strength

Against a backdrop of a declining beer market and fierce category competition, Birra Moretti Sale di Mare delivered outstanding real-world impact:

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Key Performance Highlights:

• 22% overall brand sales uplift, strengthening the entire Birra Moretti portfolio .

• 10,562 additional Sale di Mare units sold, proving curiosity could overcome traditional taste inertia .

• Full SKU tracking and real-time optimization maximized every euro of media investment.