Shopper Digest: How Effective Are Your Campaign Periods

Above-the-line (ATL) and promotional activities are vital periods for brands—whether the aim is to attract new shoppers, communicate a refreshed brand image, reinforce core values, encourage volume loading from existing shoppers, or support the launch of a new product development (NPD). All serve to revitalise, grow, or sustain a brand’s position in a competitive market. But how can companies evaluate how effective their campaigns truly are?

Two key things to consider when evaluating campaigns:

1. Behavioural Insights: Examine how shopper behaviour changes during and after the campaign. Are shoppers buying more frequently, increasing their basket size, or are more shoppers being drawn to the brand? These insights are crucial to sustaining engagement post-campaign.
2. Know Your Audience: Identify which shopper groups respond best to the campaign. Understanding who is buying can help tailor future campaigns to target high-potential segments. This is essential for optimising resource allocation and focusing efforts where engagement is highest.

We begin by reviewing our rolling source of volume change analysis to observe the shifts in shopper behaviour and determine which types of shoppers are active during these campaign periods. By looking at the data in a trending format, we can compare performance with previous campaigns to assess whether current efforts are more or less effective.

In this example, Brand X wanted to understand the performance of their recent campaign. We observed that while the brand successfully gained volume during the November–December campaign—thanks to new shoppers entering the category and brand switchers during the second month—these gains were offset by a drop-off in existing shoppers. As a result, overall penetration remained flat. Compared to the May–June campaign, the brand had better success in recruiting new shoppers and increasing penetration, suggesting the earlier campaign was more effective for shopper recruitment.
 

Upon further analysis, we discovered that the campaign resonated most with Malays, mid- to high-income shoppers, and younger nesting families—a segment showing an upward trend. From a volume perspective, we noted that volume loading occurred in the North and Central regions during the first month, while the East Coast contributed higher volumes in the second month.

​​​​​​From this analysis, we can inform the brand that their campaign performed well with Malays and younger families in the low to mid-income segments. We can also highlight which regions and campaign months drove stronger engagement and volume uplift. Should the brand wish to target other consumer segments or shift their regional focus, we are well positioned to support these strategic decisions.

At Worldpanel, we provide insights into shopper movements and behaviours to help brands identify growth opportunities. We track brands’ sources of growth by monitoring volume and value movements, with a particular focus on our key metric: penetration.

Source: P13 2024 database, Worldpanel Malaysia