The proliferation of ads in digital channels is becoming an annoyance for shoppers, and younger consumers are becoming experts at filtering out information that doesn’t interest them. UnDigital seeks to help brands get their message out by putting advertisements where customers are sure to look: inside e-Commerce packages.
The solution provider lets retailers put inserts in the packages of other brands, and includes Saks, HSN, Bed Bath & Beyond and zulily among its partners. Smaller niche retailers can get exposure through ads in the packages of larger companies and save on the delivery costs associated with mailings. The larger companies receive monetary compensation for including the inserts in their deliveries. Additionally, brands can target their ads to different segments of the larger retailers’ customer bases.
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“Many of our brands are extremely well-known household names,” said Ryan Millman, CEO and co-founder of UnDigital in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “You no longer have to be a big company to partner with one of them. As a small-to-medium sized business, to be able to get into the package of some of these iconic brands and have consumers see you while they’re excited at opening up their e-Commerce order is a tremendous benefit.”
One advantage of this advertising method is that shoppers see the inserts when they are already feeling positive, according to Millman. Shoppers are already eager to see what is inside their box, making a retailer’s advertisement into what he calls a “personal billboard.”
Brands interested in advertising through the service can choose their targeted packages to match the retailer’s customer base, using demographic breakdowns such as age and gender to maximize the ads’ impact. They can also test small batches across multiple partners to determine which offers the greatest return.
“The way our platform works is that everything is transparent, which our advertisers appreciate,” said Millman. “They can come onto our platform and see all of the packages by retailer, they can see the prices, and they have multiple options: you can take all of the inventory of a retailer, or you can take a small test.”
Companies interested in hosting another retailer’s inserts are alerted to any opportunities that come their way, and are given a chance to approve the art before the campaign begins. The inserts can reduce the cost of shipping by providing compensation, and retailers can curate interesting products for their customers by partnering with complementary retailers. UnDigital also offers ad-swapping as a free service, letting retailers include each-other’s inserts in their packages.