Kellogg's: A Data-Driven
Retail Media Overhaul
At CommerceIQ, I led the strategic overhaul for Kellogg's retail media. My challenge was to shift their traditional, brand-focused teams to a data-driven approach that focused on incremental growth. The result was a 93% year-over-year increase in ad-attributed sales on their primary platform.
Role
Customer Success Manager, Advertising
Team
CPG Client Services
Duration
2022-2023
Tools
CommerceIQ Platform, Amazon Ads, Tableau, Excel, and various retail media platforms (Kroger, Instacart, Walmart Connect, etc.)
Skills
Strategic Consulting, Data Analytics, Omnichannel Media, Budget Management
The Challenge
Market Context: The Algorithmic Shift
The biggest challenge in e-commerce isn't just selling; it's the sheer speed and scale of it all. Retail has become algorithmic. What used to be quarterly decisions about pricing or shelf placement now happen hourly. A single brand has to manage dozens of variables across sales, marketing, and supply chain every day.
Without a unified, automated approach, things break. Teams burn out, ads get wasted on out-of-stock products, and sales are lost to competitors. This was the complex environment Kellogg's was navigating.
Kellogg's VP of e-commerce was already bought in on our vision. The real challenge was showing the broader marketing and business teams—who weren't data scientists—the value of an incremental sales approach. They were used to traditional brand campaigns, and my job was to build trust and prove there was a better way to use their multi-million dollar budget.
"The reality of the modern digital shelf is that very few customers buy on their first visit. Data shows only 4% of shoppers purchase immediately, with the average customer taking 5-16 days and making 1-5 shopping queries before buying. Kellogg's brand-focused strategy wasn't built for this complex, non-linear journey."
- Data Source: Amazon Ads Partner Materials
"A key part of our strategy was understanding the competitive landscape. This Share of Voice dashboard gave us a clear, data-driven view of how Kellogg's brands, like Pringles, were stacking up against competitors like Frito-Lay in real-time."
The Results
The strategic shift paid off. The new metric saw over 70% year-over-year growth in iROAS (incremental Return on Ad Spend), highlighting advertising strategy effectiveness. By focusing on true incremental growth and using data to make smarter decisions, we delivered clear, measurable results:
increase in year-over-year ad-attributed sales.
reduction in cost-per-click, improving ad efficiency.
growth in Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
"This campaign performance dashboard shows the comprehensive metrics we tracked to measure our success, including Ad Spend, Attributed Sales, ROAS, and various other KPIs that were crucial for demonstrating the effectiveness of our data-driven approach."
A Deeper Look at the Process
"For those interested in a more granular breakdown, here are the key frameworks and tactics we implemented."
Key Strategic Pillars
Data-Driven Campaign Structure
Implemented a category-focused campaign structure that targeted high-value keywords based on market share data.
Cross-Platform Optimization
Created a cohesive strategy across multiple e-commerce channels including Walmart, Instacart, and Kroger.
Collaborative Agency Management
Worked jointly with Kellogg's agency partner, Publicis, to align on strategy and execution.
Campaign Automation
Created custom automation to systematically optimize campaigns based on performance thresholds and market trends.
Analytics & Reporting Framework
Share of Voice Tracking
Established tracking across competitive product categories to provide clear visibility.
Comprehensive Dashboards
Built custom Tableau dashboards that visualized performance metrics, ROI, and year-over-year comparisons.
Regular Business Reviews
Delivered forecasting and budget recommendations to senior stakeholders.
Tactical Framework: An Omnichannel, Full-Funnel Approach
A core part of the strategy was applying a consistent full-funnel approach across all of Kellogg's key retail media networks.
1Awareness
Utilized platform-native DSPs like Amazon DSP and The Trade Desk to reach new customers with programmatic display, while also using on-site display ads across Walmart Connect, Instacart, Kroger, etc. to build brand presence.
2Consideration
Captured active shoppers with sponsored search ads within each retail media network, and used retargeting tactics to re-engage users who had viewed a product but did not purchase.
3Conversion & Loyalty
Focused on driving the final sale by optimizing bids for conversion and, after the purchase, used remarketing to encourage repeat buys and cross-sell complementary products from the Kellogg's portfolio.