Coles 360Empower launches to provide brands + agency partners with enhanced audience insights

Coles 360 has officially launched Coles 360Empower helping provide brands and agency partners with the insights they need to inform their media buying decisions. Previously known as Unpacked by Flybuys, the capability makes marketing efforts more effective by targeting audiences based on insights from over 9 million active Flybuys members transacting at Coles, Liquorland and First Choice Liquor stores.

“We are thrilled to empower brands and agencies with the insights and audiences they need to connect with the right customers. The more insight-led we can all be, the better the outcomes will be for brands, and the better the experience will be for our customers,” said Paul Brooks (above right), General Manager, Coles 360.

Coles Supplier brands who invest in media through Coles 360 will benefit from more efficient and effective media strategies. They will also be able to combine Coles transactional insights with Flybuys customer insights to create tailored audiences. These audiences will unlock improved targeting based on customer behaviour allowing brands to tailor the creative messaging to be as relevant as possible.

Signalling a critical step in the network’s growth plan, Coles 360 has also announced the introduction of a new Agency team. The new team will enable Coles supplier agencies to invest in media across the Coles 360 network.

“As more brands start to combine brand and trade budgets, and approach their media investments in more holistic ways, we need to build the structure to accommodate the new ways of working. We are already seeing brands moving in this direction, so for us, it’s about anticipating and preparing for the future state of marketing team needs,” said Brooks.

The new Coles 360 agency team will be led by Chris Scudder (left), the previous Unpacked by Flybuys Head of Sales, meaning agencies will benefit from familiar and consistent service, importantly supercharged by the Coles 360 business.

Says Scudder: “My team and I have been working closely with agencies for years, providing them with insights and audiences they need to create better strategies and media plans. It’s exciting to now be able to offer them the opportunity to extend their media plans into key retail media touchpoints and get their brand messages closer to the point of purchase.”

Of Coles 360 transition to selling retail media to supplier media agencies, Kristiaan Kroon, Chief Investment Officer, OMG Australia said “Brands, agencies, retailers have the same goal to increase sales. Flybuys has been a great partner to the brands we work with for many years delivering on those goals. The evolution to Coles 360Empower represents the next phase of growth the most successful retail media businesses will create. Brands are rapidly increasing their focus on understanding incremental ROAS through connected measurement of trade and brand budgets.”

“The smartest brands and retailers will also use this as an opportunity to apply retail insights to higher funnel reach goals, further enhancing incremental ROAS performance using insights and measurement available through sophisticated partners like Coles 360.” said Kroon.

“As an industry, we are all navigating the ever-changing retail media landscape and the evolving needs of brands together. I think we can all see the obvious benefits of better collaboration between trade teams, brand teams and their agencies when it comes to media planning. If we can help create the connections and the framework for how we can all work together on integrated media strategies, that address both trade and brand objectives, that would be a better outcome for everyone.” said Brooks.

This evolution strengthens the rationale for Coles 360 building a bespoke insights and planning tool through their recently announced partnership with Nielsen. The Nielsen partnership will unlock a unique ability to understand the net reach and communications impact of a total brand plan, inclusive of all Coles 360 assets, ensuring no activity is planned in silos.