At a time when consumer behavior changes daily and the path to the shopper is becoming both shorter and more complex, brands face the challenge of delivering their message at the right moment, in the right place. That’s exactly why retail media is becoming one of the most dynamic advertising arenas today.
Digital screens in retail, automated media buying, and intelligent tracking systems have turned in-store advertising into a precise, measurable, and highly effective communication channel. When technology and creativity merge at this level, the result is an experience that happens literally at the point of purchase decision.
This approach was demonstrated by the PAN campaign, executed in collaboration with iProspect, dentsu Croatia, which introduced an innovative model of automated media space buying within retail stores.
The media buying was connected to an advanced tracking system that recorded key metrics in real time – from customer profiles and store traffic to the reach of the communication itself. Based on that data, ad frequency was dynamically adjusted, ensuring that the message was not shown “into the void” but delivered at the right time, to the right shoppers, with maximum return on investment.
One of the main challenges was to make PAN stand out during the highly competitive summer beer season. Instead of broader but less relevant advertising, the brand chose to communicate in the most crucial place – on screens above the shelves, right next to competing products, at the exact moment of the purchase decision. This ensured that PAN’s message not only reached consumers but also occupied a dominant position right when decisions were being made.
With an attractive prize contest and a gold bar as the main prize, the campaign was clearly positioned, visually distinctive, and in tune with the summer consumption rhythm. The results confirmed the effectiveness of this approach: during the campaign period, there was a strong increase in sales, especially in the most frequented seasonal regions such as Split and Zadar. Activities were carried out in more than 272 stores along the coast, and the campaign reached over 150,000 shoppers.
“Through collaboration with our partner, we implemented an innovative in-store advertising campaign for our client, stepping outside the boundaries of traditional communication channels. The campaign not only resulted in increased sales volume but also further engaged customers at the point of sale, confirming the power of targeted communication in a real-world environment,” said Denis Maras, Trade Marketing Manager at Carlsberg Croatia.
Nikolina Brkanac, Client Manager at iProspect, dentsu Croatia, emphasized: “This campaign showed how effective the combination of innovative media and the right moment can be – when you communicate where people are shopping, results come quickly.”
The campaign’s success was the result of a true partnership between agency and client, in which they jointly redefined how a brand communicates in the retail space. Between analytics and emotion, iProspect finds the point where a brand becomes an experience – just as PAN became part of everyday shopping.
Filip Krizmanić, Client Director at iProspect, dentsu Croatia, added: “What sets this campaign apart is that we didn’t just communicate the brand – we created an experience at the point of purchase. It was precisely this immediacy of retail media that allowed PAN to be present at the right moment and achieve a measurable impact on sales.”
The PAN & iProspect campaign once again confirms that modern retail demands new approaches and formats. When communication and technology are aligned with the consumer’s moment of decision, results come quickly and measurably – right where they matter most.
Retail is no longer just a niche but a strategic growth area for brands. Dentsu Retail, the division behind this campaign, demonstrates how smart solutions can deliver real results for clients. With a strong focus on understanding consumer needs and integrating technology, the dentsu group remains at the forefront of the changes shaping the future of advertising.
