Indianapolis-based Vibenomics, a location-based audio out-of-home advertising and experience company, has entered into a multi-year relationship with Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket retailer. Vibenomics will expand its audio OOH advertising marketplace to enrich the customer experience in more than 2,300 Kroger locations and automate the audio ad buying process to current programmatic standards. This will allow users to strategically target customers at the right time depending on weather, local events and more. 
This relationship allows Kroger to enhance its customer experience and how brands can communicate with customers at the point-of-purchase.
“Vibenomics plays an important part in our strategy to help us win with our customers, accelerate innovation in-store and drive success for the brands we carry,” said Peter Miles-Prouten, SVP of partnerships at 84.51°, Kroger’s data analytics subsidiary. “With 11 million households visiting Kroger daily, we’re excited to see audio out-of-home from Vibenomics come to life, offering real, valuable connections with our customers and opportunities for our CPG partners to advertise effectively.”
Beginning July 20, this specialized private audio network will broadcast inside Kroger’s owned and operated locations, targeting millions of unique monthly visitors. Vibenomics will be working in tandem with Kroger to determine which categories of advertisers, brands or specific products make sense to promote on their airwaves while giving thoughtful consideration to the type of shopper experience they strive to deliver.
“Our associates and customers are our No. 1 priority at Kroger, and this is a new way for us to reach them with more meaningful content,” said Cara Pratt, VP of commercial and product strategy across Kroger’s digital and in-store media business at 84.51°. “It allows us to provide them with up-to-date and timely information on their favorite brands, helping to improve their shopping experience. It also allows our brand partners to reach customers at a pivotal point in the buying process – the shelf.”
In addition to the relationship with Kroger, Vibenomics has made huge strides in owning the programmatic audio OOH space this year, reaching up to 17 percent of the shopper population within its coverage area.
“Historically, audio is not seen as a digital out-of-home medium, but we’ve revolutionized how to reach consumers directly at the point-of-sale,” said Paul Brenner, president of audio OOH and CSO at Vibenomics. “We currently reach 200 million unique people nationwide monthly with a projection to be in over 8,000 convenience and grocery retail outlets by 2021. We’re confident that our technology will continue to align with the rapidly-evolving and unique media planning needs of the world’s most sophisticated brands and digital out-of-home buyers.”
Delivered through flexible plug-and-play mobile tablet devices, Vibenomics broadcasts hyper-targeted, in-stream audio advertisements and curated playlists within any combination of locations across its national footprint. Through a first-of-its kind partner program, retailers can receive a portion of revenue for all advertisements sold by Vibenomics that play within their locations, giving them the ability to monetize their private airwaves and transform a legacy expense into a new profit center.
The Kroger Co. recently selected Dentsu Aegis Network as its first integrated media agency of record. See story, here.
