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Mars Nike Mondelez

Mars experiments with programmatic/e-commerce mix

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By Natalie Mortimer | N/A

June 30, 2015 | 3 min read

Mars Foods is experimenting with ideas around how programmatic and e-commerce channels can work together as it looks to reach mass audiences using individualised messages.

Although the FMCG giant, which counts brands including Uncle Ben’s, Snickers and M&M’s among its portfolio, hasn’t any firm plans in the space, it is watching developments in digital advertising and shopping behaviours with interest, according to Mars’ global chief marketing officer (CMO) Bruce McColl.

“The big change that’s happening now is the way people are shopping and when you think about tailoring, or starting to merge how you communicate with how people buy, then programmatic and the ability to individualise messages there start to get very exciting,” McColl told The Drum.

“You can then start to think about e-commerce – that is something we are getting our heads around, we don’t know how to do it yet but we are experimenting. If I was to predict five years out then that is something that’s going to have to really drive our industry and we are going to see the blurring of lines even more than it has before on sales, on marketing, on consumers and customers and retailers.”

Mars is not alone in its experiments with digital ads and e-commerce; fellow FMCG giant Mondelez recently announced that it is to let shoppers buy their favourite snacks from all its owned, earned and paid media in an attempt to elevate the return-on-investments from its promotions.

The company has begun to embed “Buy it Now’ buttons into its online media, from brands’ product pages to social media, video advertising and CRM campaigns across 25 markets.

Meanwhile Nike last week revealed plans to create more opportunities for people to buy goods from its social channels after seeing efforts to bridge the gap between media and commerce bear fruit in its latest financial quarter.

Mars Nike Mondelez

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