Sainsbury's and Aimia, owner of the Nectar programme, today announced they have formed a joint venture to offer suppliers multi-channel marketing solutions in and around Sainsbury's stores and online.
The new company, Insight 2 Communication (I2C), will provide suppliers with a better understanding of the Sainsbury's customers, while providing a 'one stop shop' solution to advertise across all of the retailer's communication channels. Opportunities include Coupon-at-Till, direct mail, all media in and around stores, including car park advertising and in-store sampling, as well as email, mobile, Sainsburys.co.uk and advertising via Sainsbury's magazines. I2Cwill plan and deliver fully integrated campaigns that will reach over 22 million customers a week in stores and over 165,000 shoppers every week through Sainsburys.co.uk.
Suppliers will have access to unparalleled customer insights based on Nectar data, enabling them to develop the most targeted and effective communications mix for reaching their customers.
David Buckingham from Aimia has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of I2C and will report to a board comprising: Mike Coupe, Sainsbury's Group Commercial Director; Luke Jensen, Sainsbury's Group Development Director; David Johnston, President and CEO, EMEA, Aimia; and Peter Gleason, Managing Director, Intelligent Shopper Solutions, Aimia. Luke Jensen has been appointed Chairman of I2C.
Commenting on the joint venture, David Buckingham said: "From the home to the checkout and beyond, I2C will offer FMCGs a tailored advertising solution in and around stores and online. We'll help them plan, manage and deliver fully integrated campaigns more effectively to the millions of customers who visit Sainsbury's stores or shop online each week."
Luke Jensen, Sainsbury's Group Development Director, said: "It's a win-win for both customers and suppliers. This means more timely, relevant and accessible offers for customers based on their likes and dislikes, while brands benefit from an end-to-end insight based marketing solution and greater return on investment."
David Johnston, President and CEO EMEA, Aimia said: "The launch of I2C is testament to the growing interest in shopper marketing, targeting customers in and around stores. Coupled with our data-driven approach, we believe I2C will deliver better experiences for shoppers and greater ROI for brands who will benefit from the integrated solution I2C offers."
