Specsavers partners with Ekimetrics to transform Marketing Mix Optimisation

Ekimetrics will help Specsavers embed frequent learnings into both strategic and day-to-day planning of marketing activity, and media laydown and spend.  The three-year project will deliver an ‘always on’, detailed understanding of the drivers of media performance for both short-term trading activity and longer-term brand building. The programme will encompass online and offline channels, including TV, CRM and Specsavers’ growing digital activity.

As part of the programme, Ekimetrics will help Specsavers to build a data automation infrastructure. This will provide Specsavers with one version of the truth on which to base all marketing planning decisions and respond to a changing landscape and the business questions that arise as a result. The target infrastructure will enable the efficiencies needed to support an increase in model update frequency.

In addition, Specsavers teams will have access to a digital optimisation platform to plan and forecast their marketing spend and expected ROI. The platform will be key to ensuring analytical insights are embedded into the organisation’s decision-making process across all functions and provide the basis on which to establish a framework that predicts growth whilst optimising marketing spend. All of which will mark a step-change in Specsavers’ approach to data led marketing.

Iain Stanfield, Senior Insight Manager, Specsavers, said of the partnership: “Ekimetrics’ business-first approach to this substantial transformation programme impressed us from the outset. The team carefully considered all elements, from the roadmap to implementation and training.

“The ability to refresh models more frequently and responsively will help us to establish a stronger marketing effectiveness culture. Marketing contributes significantly to the Specsavers brand position and sales growth. We strongly believe that a data driven approach will help us go beyond our current trajectory of organic growth by anticipating changes in market conditions and consumer behaviour.”

Matt Andrew, UK MD, Ekimetrics, added, “Specsavers’ marketing campaigns are iconic. The turmoil of recent years has seen huge changes in buying behaviours, which is why forward-looking brands like Specsavers are rightly investing in building up their in-house MMO skills. MMO is a journey, not a destination, and requires constant evolution to drive lasting change. The team at Specsavers has the long-term vision to realise this and understands how maturing their data analysis can help shift the needle.”