Ash Harding Getting to know

Winter Blues Beat the

QTell us about your role at Cartology?

In my role as Group Agency Partnerships Manager, I look after all media agencies across VIC, SA and WA. I have a fantastic team of senior partnership and account managers and together we look after more than 50 agencies across the states.

Since launching the agency team three years ago, my main focus has been driving retail media awareness and educating agencies on Cartology's unique offering, a role that has rapidly expanded.

We are also staring down the barrel of a very exciting few months ahead as we bring the Shopper team together with Cartology.

QWhat’s exciting about retail media for our partners?

Of course, my answer is in the robust customer insight. What excites me most is our extensive offnetwork offering closed loop reporting. Rich customer data means greater campaign efficiency, which is becoming increasingly important as the belt tightens on marketing budgets. This also applies to the phasing out of third party cookies. Agencies will look to retail media more than ever to reach customers based on first party transaction data, within a walled garden ecosystem.

Q

Where and how have you seen retail media work well?

For me, it has to be YouTube Shoppable. The combination of Woolworths customer targeting, video content and a seamless shopping experience is a very powerful and unique offering for brands. A great example is a shoppable campaign we

Always on my shopping list

✔ Honest Eggs (Sorry, only available in VIC!)

✔ Woolworths brand Soda Water

✔ Avocados

✔ Ceres Brown Rice Cakes

✔ Natural Confectionery Party Mix

1 2 3 ran for nappy brand Babylove, wanting to drive trial and increase brand preference through emotive marketing across YouTube. The campaign drove a 21% increase in customers, 24% sales increase vs pre period and a ROAS of 960%. Reaching the right customer in the right environment, with a unique intersection of content + utility, is what makes YouTube Shoppable so successful in driving brand salience and sales results.

QWhat's the best carreer advice you have been given?

There are two. When the door of opportunity opens, walk through it. Always have a mentor. n

Retail media state of the nation 2023