Tag: Shopper marketing

Netherlands – Heineken has appointed WPP as its global shopper marketing and commerce partner, entrusting the agency with enhancing retail and e-commerce experiences for its flagship brands, including Heineken, Heineken 0.0, and Heineken Silver.

Based at WPP’s Amsterdam Campus, the dedicated team—led by VML Amsterdam—will drive Heineken’s global below-the-line (BTL) marketing initiatives, focusing on developing distinctive and impactful brand experiences across key consumer touchpoints.

Harnessing WPP Open, the company’s AI-powered marketing transformation platform, the team will deliver cutting-edge, end-to-end brand experience and commerce solutions. This includes collaborating with Heineken’s global team to elevate in-store and in-bar brand presence, enhance retail activations, and refine e-commerce strategies to drive sales and optimise the consumer journey.

Furthermore, the team will craft integrated shopper experiences around major sponsorships, including Formula 1, the UEFA Champions League, and live music events—strengthening brand affinity and creating unforgettable moments for fans.

Rutger van der Stegen, global head of BTL Heineken Brand, said, “We were impressed by WPP’s deep capabilities in shopper marketing, including their ability to drive higher efficiencies through WPP Open, underpinned by advanced AI. In addition, WPP’s creativity and deep understanding of the Heineken® brand make them the right partner to increase the impact of shopper touchpoints in our marketing mix, strengthening connections with consumers and driving sustainable growth.”

This partnership extends WPP’s existing collaboration with HEINEKEN, adding to its work across the company’s brand portfolio. Ogilvy currently supports HEINEKEN brands globally and in key markets such as Brazil, Spain, and Mexico, while Design Bridge and Partners has contributed to branding and design efforts, including HEINEKEN’s recent 150-year anniversary campaign.

Rogier Leliveld, chief client officer for WPP in the Netherlands and WPP global client lead for HEINEKEN, said, “We could not be prouder to expand our partnership with Heineken® and leverage WPP Open’s AI capabilities to create world-class experiences for its brands.”

“Commerce and shopper experience are such important drivers of brand power and sales in this category, which makes this opportunity even more exciting. It also allows us to build on our longstanding brand strategy and design partnership with Heineken®. With the added excitement of UEFA Champions League and F1, the potential of this partnership is tremendous,” he added.

Indonesia – Independent agency M&C Saatchi in Indonesia has its new shopper marketing and brand experience specialism called ‘M&C Saatchi Shopex’. This division is designed to deliver omnichannel shopper and brand experience solutions to clients.

The scope of services from M&C Saatchi Shopex includes shopper strategy, retail design and production, shopper technology, planogramming, interactive display technology, events and activation, metaverse solutions, and e-commerce integration (O2O), as well as shopper performance research and analytics, amongst others.

Moreover, the agency has developed a proprietary tool that measures the ‘Experience Gap’ in consumer journeys across omnichannel landscapes for any given brand. Through its services, the agency also aims to create a net-zero experience gap, where consumers experience delight through synergies in their brand experience. Measures of success, according to the agency, are metrics that improve the Net Promoter Scores (NPS) after every brand interaction, as well as improved ROAS, as every brand experience translates to commerce. Through this vertical, M&C Saatchi will also work with retailers and e-commerce platforms on the supply side, and with brands on the demand side

Commenting on the developments, Anish Daryani, founder and president director of M&C Saatchi Indonesia, said, “As a specialism, we will map and curate customer journeys, online, offline and everything in between. Not only do we have the capability of creating memorable experiences, but also measure their impact with respect to how they contribute to commerce.”

Meanwhile, Moray MacLennan, global CEO and chairman at M&C Saatchi Group, noted, “Indonesia has been one of our best-performing businesses. Innovation and capacity creation have been key to their growth. The launch of M&C Saatchi Shopex delivers on our commitment to offering connected creativity to our clients.”

The agency has brought on board Michael (Mike) Forster as managing director of M&C Saatchi Shopex. Prior to his appointment, Forster was CEO of Geometry Global Korea. In 19 years at WPP agencies, he has held end-market, regional and global leadership roles, while in his 12 years in Asia, he has run businesses in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, and Indonesia

On his appointment, Forster commented, “I was seduced by the stupendous growth story of M&C Saatchi Indonesia, and was eager to be a part of it. Indonesia is far behind its consumers’ expectations around brand experience, and I’m here to pioneer a new commerce and brand experience movement in the country through M&C Saatchi Shopex.”

Daryani also shared, “We have put together a team of specialists that have mastered the art of shopper and experiential marketing across markets. In Mike, we see the leadership and experience to make M&C Saatchi Shopex one of the most profitable verticals of our business, while delivering value to our clients at many multiples over their investments.”