CASE STUDY OVERVIEW
Sonae Sierra is a leading European company specializing in shopping center management, and Footprints AI is an AI-based Retail Media platform that uses indoor and online behavioral data to create a comprehensive view of customer behavior. The two companies collaborated on a pilot project at ParkLake Shopping Center in Romania to validate a new type of revenue for shopping centers using AI and shopper data. The pilot project aimed to address the challenges Sonae Sierra faced in the constantly changing retail environment, particularly the need to capitalize on the data of its more than 50 million individual consumers, becoming a global player in today's most valuable market: data.
The retail landscape has evolved significantly in recent years. Sonae Sierra, like other shopping center management companies, faced challenges in delivering a personalized shopping experience to customers and generating revenue streams from Retail Media platforms. The traditional approach to Retail Media did not allow for targeted, personalized messaging to customers, and advertisers were not achieving the return on ad spend they wanted. Sonae Sierra needed a new, data-driven approach to Retail Media that would enable personalized messaging to customers and increase shopping center revenue.
"Footprints AI enabled us to enter today's most valuable market: data. With this platform, we can offer a personalized experience to our customers while generating new revenue streams for our shopping centers. The pilot project at ParkLake Shopping Center was a success, and we are excited to see how this technology can help us continue to grow and evolve as a company." — Ricardo Rosa, Head of Innovation, Sonae Sierra.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
To achieve the pilot results, Footprints AI used advanced analytics and customer and audience management capabilities. The technology and methodology involved using machine learning algorithms and building information mapping to generate indoor paths and create affinity profiles, behavioral clusters, and predictions for individual shoppers.
- The technology enabled retailers to predict future purchasing behaviors and automatically create predictive audiences.
- Footprints AI's data and AI technology helped participating brands achieve a return on ad spend 5 to 8 times higher compared to search ads and social ads.
- By accessing Sonae Sierra's data, Footprints AI was able to deliver a personalized experience to their customers and generate new revenue streams for the shopping center. The pilot project results included a 90% satisfaction rate among all participating brands.
CHANNELS
Shopping center Wi-Fi – Web – Mobile devices – Mobile apps – Search media – Social media
THE APPROACH
Footprints AI provided the technological capabilities needed to overcome the challenges Sonae Sierra faced. The platform uses indoor and online behavioral data to create a comprehensive view of customer behavior, enabling targeted, personalized messaging to customers.
- Indoor shopping behavioral profiling: Footprints AI collected customer behavior data in indoor shopping environments using ambient connectivity and mobile sensors. The collected data was processed using machine learning algorithms and building information mapping to generate indoor paths. The algorithms also created affinity profiles, behavioral clusters, and predictions for individual shoppers.
- Online behavioral profiling: Footprints AI collected user identity and profile data from all digital channels to create a comprehensive 360-degree view of the shopper's profile.
- Offline-to-online fusion: Footprints AI's proprietary AI technology combined offline and online customer data to create a comprehensive view of customer behavior.
- Prediction and targeting: Retailers could use Footprints AI to predict, target, and sell based on customer behavior, both online and in-store.
THE RESULTS
The pilot project at ParkLake Shopping Center resulted in several key successes, including a 90% satisfaction rate and seven brands wanting to continue running ads through Footprints in the shopping center. Footprints also secured a frame agreement with Publicis France for Samsung, with a media budget for the next 6 months.
The project's estimated return on ad spend was 5 to 8 times higher than search ads and social ads for the brands that participated in the pilot project. Sonae Sierra was able to overcome its challenges and capitalize on its shoppers' data, becoming a global player in today's most valuable market: data.
Understand your customers' behavior.
Predict what your customers want and expect.
Influence shoppers across every Retail Media channel.
