Momvertising Opps: Sprouts updates marketing strategy, hires marketing VP(Score 68)

Sprouts has remodeled its marketing strategy and put an emphasis on targeted digital ads, per its 2020 Q4 earnings report. In the past the company invested in print ads that is described as "anonymous," whereas now, it uses targeted digital ads. It has already seen an improvement in its customer data base with customer e-mails growing by 50% and mobile app downloads increasing by 60%. It also hired Jacqueline Reynolds last month as marketing VP from 7-Eleven, where she served as a marketing communications assistant. 

According to iSpot, Sprouts spent around $149.9k on national TV ads YTD, after only spending $652 during the same time period of 2020. Full-year spend equaled skyrocketed from $2.5k in 2019 to $189.5k in 2020. This year, it placed ads during programming such as "Open House," "SPL 2: A Time for Consequences," "Friends," "The Revenant" and "Noticias Univision34: Solo a las once." 

Magellan reports Sprouts placed about eight podcast ads over the last year. 

Per Pathmatics, Sprouts earned 753.4m impressions through desktop video ads (61%), Instagram ads (14%), desktop display ads (10%), Facebook ads (10%) and mobile display ads (6%). It placed the majority (69%) of these ads site direct onto sites such as youtube.com, yahoo.com, instagram.com, facebook.com and msn.com. It placed the remainder (31%) through a variety of indirect channels onto sites such as yahoo.com, aol.com, news.yahoo.com, finance.yahoo.com and games.com. It spent around $5.5m on digital display ads YTD, a 16% increase from $4.6m spent during the same time period of 2020. The company increased full-year spend drastically from $6.6m in 2019 to $21.2m in 2020. 

Sellers-- Sprouts mainly targets moms with an emphasis on millennials with a Hispanic skew. It started increasing spend last year and has continued this year. While the company is moving away from more traditional marketing methods, it does still invest in OOH, print, radio and local broadcast TV ads, per Kantar. Use the store locator here, to see where you may be able to provide local ad space.  Sellers should reach out offering relevant ad space. 

Agency & martech readers-- I believe Sprouts splits creative between an in-house team and NitroC Group. It also has an in-house team working on media. We have not seen any changes since Sprouts brought Gilliam Phipps CMO about a year ago, indicating he is pleased with the current status. I recommend looking for work elsewhere.