INNOVATION
MAR-TECH (2025)
Data Science Purchase Intent Audience - Checkers LiquorShop
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Bronze
| Title: | Data Science Purchase Intent Audience |
|---|---|
| Brand: | Checkers LiquorShop |
| Product: | Alcohol |
| Agency Name or Internal: | Rainmaker Media |
| Brand Representative/Marketing Director: | Kim Brandt, Marketing Campaign Manager, Checkers LiquorShop |
| Agency: | Rainmaker Media |
| Strategist: | Adelé Carmel, Digital Strategist, Rainmaker Media |
| Media Agency Partner: | Deanna Lasania, Digital Account Manager, Rainmaker Media |
| Executive Summary: | The Checkers LiquorShop Purchase Intent campaign redefined what’s possible with retail media targeting. Built on first-party data and powered by predictive modelling, the innovation lay in a data science model that could accurately forecast when and what a shopper was likely to purchase — not based on demographics or broad categories, but on behaviour. Developed using Checkers Xtra Savings rewards data, the model analysed shopping frequency, basket composition, substitute behaviours, and product latency to create a Purchase Intent score. This enabled us to build highly specific audiences — not just for whiskey or wine, but for single malts, draughts, and even varietals like merlot or cabernet sauvignon. Rather than launch a traditional awareness campaign, we ran a controlled A/B test on Meta: our usual first-party audience vs. the new Purchase Intent audience. Everything else remained the same — budget, platform, creative strategy, timing — to isolate the model’s effectiveness. The results were remarkable. The Purchase Intent audience delivered a Return On Ad Spend of R29.10 — nearly six times the R5.10 achieved by our standard first-party audience. On a modest budget of less than R20,000, the campaign generated over R550,000 in sales in just two weeks. Creatively, the campaign succeeded in its subtlety. There were no flashy gimmicks — just hyper-personalised ads featuring promotions most relevant to each shopper’s preferences. From cab sav to scotch, the right product reached the right person at exactly the right time — on the platform where they shop, in the moment they were most likely to buy. This innovation didn’t just raise performance — it reshaped how we approach targeting. Following this campaign, Rainmaker rolled out the Purchase Intent model across multiple categories, including personal care and food, and it is now a cornerstone of our retail media offering. More than a pilot, this was a proof of concept — one that turned precision into performance, and data into business impact. |
| Additional Credits: | Siviwe Sikundla, Digital Campaign Manager, Rainmaker Media |
| Additional Credits: | Dennis Phieros, Data Scientist, ShopriteX |
| Additional Credits: | Vishalin Pillay, Data Scientist, ShopriteX |
| Additional Credits: | Lyle Stevens, Group Account Director, 99c |
