Ukrop's rolls out one-to-one marketing kiosks
In the US, Ukrop's Super Markets has launched a new 'Savings Spot' one-to-one marketing programme to give frequent shoppers personalised coupons and messages as they enter its stores, starting with locations in Virginia.
Members of the Ukrop's Valued Customer (UVC) loyalty programme can scan their loyalty card at the kiosk, which is located near each store's entrance, and obtain a personalised sheet of up to eight offers and messages chosen for them, based on their shopping history with Ukrop's.
Stealth marketing The kiosk allows Ukrop's and its partners to product unadvertised offers and direct them to the most appropriate customers with a much greater chance of both personal relevance and redemption. This is a form of stealth marketing, and provides a difficult barrier to competitors that try to match the supermarket's offers, as it is difficult to know to what extent products and special prices are being promoted.
"The Savings Spot is a major milestone in the reinvention of our UVC card loyalty platform to widen the gap between other grocery chains' cards and ours," said Scott Aronson, vice president of marketing for Ukrop's. Ukrop's was the first retailer to pilot the kiosk system with its creator, Entry Point Communications, although the system has also recently been adopted by Price Chopper in Schenectady, NY. The kiosks are expected to be launched throughout the entire Ukrop's chain soon.
What's involved Ukrop's chose EPC in 2005 to implement its marketing system, which has three major components:
- The Savings Spot dispenser kiosk, prominently located inside store entrances;
- The programme's DealSense offer targeting software;
- A programme that extends beyond offer coupons and advertising messages to incorporate other loyalty card-based programmes (coming later in 2007).
The kiosk is a purpose-built coupon dispenser which also has an on-board video display that can stream video advertising triggered by a brand's appearance on a shopper's offer sheet. At Ukrop's the Savings Spot is positioned where shoppers pick up the supermarket's weekly circular, which is stacked on an integrated rack.
For additional information: · Visit Ukrop's at http://www.ukrops.com · Visit Entry Point at http://www.epc-instore.com