Linkable Networks Launches Shopper Attribution Platform

Linkable Networks has launched the Linkable Shopper Attribution Platform, enabling retailers to directly measure the impact of their digital media on in-store sales based on actual consumer transactions.

The Linkable Shopper Attribution Platform is able to measure the purchase behavior of 180 million credit cardholders in the United States and gives brands and retailers a way to incentivize and reward consumers for purchasing specific products in store, where 93 percent of all retail sales still occur.

"Physical retail is never going away," says John Caron, chief marketing officer at Linkable Networks, "but retailers are struggling to get people into their stores" amid increased competition from Amazon and direct-fulfillment by manufacturers.

The cloud-based Linkable Shopper Attribution Platform ties offers and coupons directly to the consumers' credit card accounts. Once the consumer creates an account linked to his credit card, any discounts or promotional offers available on the items he buys with that card are automatically applied to his account.

"He goes into the store, does his transaction, and automatically receives the cash back on his [credit card] statement in a day or so," Caron explains. "He doesn't have to carry coupons. He gets the savings automatically."

The platform, which is primarily geared toward large grocery and specialty retailers with large, multi-store chains, works for both paper coupons and digital promotions, such as online specials or email promotions.

"It's the same as a paper coupon, but is far more appealing to today's digital consumers," Caron says.

In addition to being able to support whole-store offers and rewards, the Shopper Attribution Platform includes the following:

• SKU-level offers and rewards. Core to the Linkable platform is the ability for retailers and their brand partners to create digital offers that include or exclude specific items, categories, departments, and locations. This allows  the retailer or supplier  to directly attribute their media dollars to in-store spending through their retail channels.
• Coupon anti-stacking. Linkable prevents consumers from combining digital and printed offers in a single transaction.
• Universal data connect. Linkable connects directly with the card networks, select processors, or retailers’ data centers to provide multiple layers of data redundancy for card-linked offers.

In addition, all transaction information is stored in the system and can be used by the retailers for future marketing and sales efforts. "Retailers get more reliable data that ensures that the right offers get to the right consumers," Caron says.

Because of that, the retailer might even be able to have their suppliers fund the program.

The end result, he adds, is "a better experience for the consumer because of a faster checkout and less work for the retailer."

The Linkable Shopper Attribution Platform is now available and is the foundation for Linkable's three solutions:

• Linkable Promotions: All-digital coupons or rewards—storewide or item-level—that are linked to a consumer's credit or debit card and redeem automatically without paper, a promotion code, or another app.
• Linkable Media: In-store attribution of a retailer's or brand's digital media based on consumer purchases.
• Linkable Loyalty: Automatically measures and aggregates purchases across any national retailer for use by loyalty companies to reward and track consumer spending.

Tom Burgess, CEO of Linkable Networks, said in a statement that the Linkable Shopper Attribution Platform was built with a simple idea in mind. "Brands and retailers need a better way to see return on their digital ad spend in-store. Also, consumers benefit by receiving the offers they want at the product level without having to cut out or search for an online coupon."

"Everyone is using incentives to drive consumers into their stores. This just makes it easier for everyone," Caron says.