Cooler Screens Targets In-Store Ads Based on Real-Time Events

A new ad format from the in-store digital media and merchandising platform Cooler Screens is giving CPG brands a way to capture consumer attention and drive engagement during real-time events. Dubbed “Own the Moment,” the new ad format combines many elements of a traditional homepage takeover with Cooler Screens’ network of in-store display screens. It offers a way for CPG brands to run video ads across more than 10,000 screens in Cooler Screens’ in-store audience network.

The screens that Cooler Screens ads display on are unlike pretty much anything else. Cooler Screens has partnered with thousands of stores—including Walgreens, Kroger, and Circle K—to add advertising to freezer aisles and other areas inside physical stores. The company swaps out clear fridge and freezer doors for opaque doors, and uses a system of motion sensors and cameras to display what’s inside — along with product information, prices, available coupons, and — importantly — relevant advertising. 

With the new Own the Moment ad format, brands can “take over” Cooler Screens’ in-store audience network during what the company calls “key calendar moments,” like the Super Bowl or Christmas Day. Ads are delivered at the shopper’s moment of truth, when they’re about to make a purchase selection, which ensures “targeted, timely, and relevant messaging.”

Advertisers have the option to target screens during events that are pre-scheduled, like holidays and annual entertainment events, or during real-time events, like immediately after a game-winning touchdown.

“Most of our advertising partners are currently focused on pre-set calendar moments. However, it is possible to leverage Own the Moment to target in near real-time based on events like game-winning plays or other major events down to a local level since we can target down to specific stores with local DMAs, says Lindell Bennett, Cooler Screen’s chief revenue officer. “We are also working to enable even more sophisticated levels of programmatic targeting integration and data analysis to make fully real-time decisions as we continue to advance our technology.”

While the Own the Moment ad format shares similarities with the homepage takeover, Bennett says the opportunity for brands to connect with shoppers is much greater in-store than online, since there is more immediacy and clearer contextual relevance.

“The in-store environment provides a more immediate and relevant context for consumers to encounter ads, as they are already making purchasing decisions while they shop. Advertisers can directly engage with consumers in-store at their moment of decision – immediately before making a selection, delivering messages at the right time, in the right place, to the right consumers,” she says. “Cooler Screens’ Own the Moment in-store retail media is far more memorable than an online ad surrounded by clutter and distractions that all compete for attention. All of this is done via a large format, 4K smart screen that enables the content and powers an engaging experience for brands.”

CPG brands will have access to tools for tracking and measuring the performance of their Own the Moment campaigns, so they can leverage insights like sales lift, brand equity, and real-time shopper behaviors.

March Madness Tie-In

Kraft Heinz, which signed on as an early tester of the new ad format, reportedly saw a 3-point to 6-point percentage incremental sales lift across its brand portfolios. Gatorade is also running a campaign for Fast Twitch, its new energy drink, across the Cooler Screens network during the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Launching Own the Moment in conjunction with March Madness allows Cooler Screens to capitalize on the heightened consumer engagement that happens each spring, when sports fans stock up on food and beverage for at-home March Madness watch parties and events, Bennett says.

“March Madness was an ideal time to launch the Own the Moment campaign for several reasons. It is one of the few major sporting events that can consistently pull in even casual or passive fans, due to the tie-in for alumni and bracket challenges among friends and co-workers. Due to this, it garners significant attention and buzz, making it a prime opportunity for advertisers to reach key consumers,” Bennett says. “March Madness is a time when people gather for watch parties and events and research indicates an increase in shopping for food and beverages during this time, making it a relevant context for our brand partners to engage shoppers within their path to purchase.”