Executive Summary
The challenge:
to reverse the natural 30-50% drop in beer sales during the winter and increase market share, in the face of strong competition from premium brands.
The conclusions: Winter relaxation moments
are spontaneous and have a specific purpose: shopping for gatherings, quiet evenings or social outings are what drive purchases, not just seasonality.
The strategy:
Use predictive AI and real-time Retail Media to activate the desire for relaxation before purchase and convert it in-store through dynamic omnichannel interaction.
Strategy implementation: Customized activations
on mobile, apps, screens and radio, dynamically aligned with life stages, purchase objectives and time-of-day behaviors to capture spontaneous purchase intent.
The results:
Sales of 6-packs soared by +69%, portfolio share increased by +14%, and a +35% increase was achieved in selected stores, all during the toughest winter season.
Introduction: Turning beer sales around in winter
Winter is traditionally a slow season for beer sales in Romania. Colder temperatures
and a shift towards premium brands leave mainstream beers struggling, with some experiencing sales drops of up to 50%.
However, the human need to relax doesn't disappear with the temperature.
From spontaneous get-togethers to unwinding after work, people continue to seek moments of comfort, and Ciucaș saw an opportunity.
Thanks to Footprints AI's predictive audience profiling, in-store media accuracy, and real-time campaign optimization, Ciucaș redefined beer season, making its iconic six-packs the natural choice for everyday relaxation.
This is the story of how real relaxation translated into real results, and how Retail Media became a powerful engine of growth when it mattered most.
Challenge, context and objectives
The challenge: to succeed in a losing season
Traditionally, winter severely impacts beer sales in Romania, with declines of between 30% and 50%.
At the same time, December shoppers tend to opt for premium and premium-plus brands, intensifying competition for mainstream brands like Ciucaș.
Additional challenges:
- Minimal price differences between the budget and premium options (only €0.20).
- Seasonal noise saturated due to multiple promotions of consumer products.
- Change in consumer mindset : vacation planning, premiumization, instead of spontaneous purchases.
In this context, Ciucaș set himself three ambitious goals:
- Significantly increase the sales volume of six-packs.
- Expand the overall share of the category across your entire portfolio.
- Strengthen brand loyalty to extend off-season profits beyond December.
The mission was not just to survive the winter, but to transform it into a season of spontaneous relaxation and hassle-free shopping , led by Ciucaș.
The key idea: relaxation isn't planned, it's seized.
The key strategic point was recognizing that authentic moments of relaxation are impulsive , not planned:
" Relaxation is emotional, not programmed. The right reminder, at the right time, turns a thought into a purchase."
Traditional beer marketing in December focuses on festive planning.
Ciucaș broke that mold by creating spontaneous occasions , linking brand activation not to parties, but to small, everyday celebrations.
- A free afternoon.
- Some friends who stop by the house.
- A stress-free weekend.
Examples of mission-driven triggers:
- Impulse purchases after work captured through digital screens and in-store radio ads between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
- AI wholesale family purchases driven through weekend daytime time slots with clear and relaxing messages.
- Promotions in the app synchronized with online browsing peaks (e.g., Fridays from 4:00 PM).
Strategic structure: omnichannel activation based on real-world behavior
The strategy was clear and powerful:
to satisfy the need for relaxation where and when it arises naturally.
Components of the real-time predictive strategy:
- Prediction:
- Audience profiling based on life stages, goals, and shopping basket data.
- Dynamic identification of shoppers likely to buy for relaxation reasons.
- Lead:
- Activation of mobile applications, Retailer websites and sponsored ads on WhatsApp before store visits.
- Screens in store and radio, precisely during peak hours of leisure shopping.
- Conversion:
- Short and eye-catching creatives that directly link Ciucaș's 6-packs with moments of relaxation.
- Measurement and optimization:
- Real-time tracking of SKU sales at Profi (after-work peaks) and Auchan (weekend peaks).
- Creative and investment adjustments mid-campaign to maximize impact.
Each element was based on behavior—not assumptions—making Ciucaș the natural and effortless choice at the right time.
Bringing the strategy and the idea to life
Predictive activation: from the AI shopping cart desire
Footprints AI orchestrated Ciucaș's journey in Retail Media through three precise stages: awakening desire, guiding in-store purchases, and optimizing in real time based on behavior .
1. Preparation on the mobile phone and the app (before going to the store)
Even before consumers left their homes, the triggers for relaxation were already in place:
- The home pages of the Retailers' applications (Auchan, Profi) displayed banners for six-packs of Ciucaș during peak traffic hours.
- Mobile app push notifications targeted after-work hours, with reminders like:
"Relax at the end of the day. Grab your Ciucaș 6-pack on your way home."
- The ads on the Retailers' websites appeared during searches for weekend plans, linking wholesale AI purchases with group relaxation.
2. Real-time activation in store
As shoppers arrived, Footprints AI dynamically adapted the messages based on behavior and timing:
- Profi's digital displays increased their frequency between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM , during the after-work rush hour, when consumers were most motivated by relaxation.
- The radio in Auchan stores activated weekend messages linked to family gatherings and informal social moments.
- Auchan's mid-campaign dynamic content updates focused more aggressively on themes related to the convenience of multipacks when basket analysis revealed pre-purchases by large families.
3. Real-time optimization
Throughout the campaign, SKU-level sales signals drove real-time adjustments:
- More screens and prints were allocated to Auchan, as wholesale AI purchases proved to be stronger than initially anticipated.
- Retargeting similar audiences reinforced brand recall after purchase, increasing repeat sales driven by the desire to relax.
- The creative concept was updated mid-campaign based on peak demand, with new lines such as:
"Ciucaș: your reward after a long day."
Dynamic creativity: always timely, always relevant
Each point of contact bore the Ciucaș brand, with its characteristic and recognizable green color, linked to the mindset of relaxation:
Examples of mission-aligned messages:
- After-Work Boost (Profi):
"Authentic relaxation. Ready when you are. Get your six-pack tonight."
- Family weekend shopping (Auchan):
"Relax as a family. Big moments, bigger packs."
- Routine shopping (Apps):
"Turn your weekend into a relaxing victory. Ciucaș's 6-packs are now available."
The creatives were brief, emotive, and mission-specific, standing out amidst the festive bustle and offering a clear and immediate reason to act.
Channel strategy: precision in all contexts
Instead of focusing on volume, Ciucaș prioritized behavioral relevance at each media touchpoint:
This coordinated approach ensured that Ciucaș was always in tune with shoppers' emotional states and intentions , maximizing conversion without increasing media investment.
Results
Real-world impact: relaxation was sold, targets were exceeded
Ciucaș not only survived the winter slump, but rewrote the rules of beer sales seasonality. Retail Media's predictive strategy, based on actual purchasing behavior, delivered exceptional and quantifiable results :
Key aspects of performance:
- Sales of 6-packs skyrocketed by more than 68%.
- The market share of the range rose from 4.96% in November to 5.65% in December .
- Selected stores recorded a 35% higher sales increase than stores with inactive AI control.
- Every advertising touchpoint —from mobile devices to screens in shopping malls —was tracked down to the SKU-level impact with second-by-second accuracy.
How the results were achieved
These figures were not the result of luck, but were obtained through:
- Real-time predictive profiles of shoppers with a high propensity to relax.
- Omnichannel alignment across all consumer touchpoints: app, web, screen, radio.
- Dynamic real-time optimization , shifting investment towards locations, life stages and missions with the highest conversion rate during the campaign.
- Tracking performance throughout the funnel , relating impressions to purchases, cart size, and product turnover.
Success confirmed a fundamental truth:
"Retail media, when predictive and data-driven, can grow brands even in their most challenging seasons."
Why is it important?
In a market where many brands resign themselves to seasonal declines, Ciucaș demonstrated that there is a better way:
Take advantage of the emotional moment, predict behavior and act when it matters most.
- Authentic relaxation became a competitive advantage.
- Data-driven omnichannel accuracy became the lever for growth.
- Footprints AI's real-time media-to-sales platform became the engine that transformed winter into a winning season.
For brands seeking not only visibility, but measurable and profitable retail growth, this model sets a new benchmark.
Related case studies
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- How Amstel overcame the decline in the beer market with omnichannel Retail Media segmented by store
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