Austin Leonard of Sam’s Club on maximizing value exchange to build trust with consumers

On this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Austin Leonard, Head of Sales at Sam's Club Member Access Platform (MAP), highlights the increasing need to offer value to consumers in exchange for their engagement with your brand, especially as we shift to a post-cookie future.

The rise in retail media has resulted in fewer and fewer consumers opting into sharing their data; Austin stresses combating this hesitancy requires that you offer additional value in exchange for their participation. He explains that Sam's Club's success stems from leveraging first-party deterministic data to benefit consumers and brands as opposed to using it only to further their own ends

Austin talks about the importance of listening to suppliers and brands and identifying areas for improvement while focusing on perfecting the product set. He advises that brands seeking to partner with companies like Sam's Club have a defined business objective, have sponsored products ready to launch, and be able to present a clear value proposition that benefits consumers.  

Sam's Club has adopted a member-first marketing strategy, prioritizing customers by providing tailored high-value products. Every product is evaluated on whether or not it will benefit the consumer, increasing the member's trust in the company. Austin additionally emphasizes the importance of extending retargeting efforts after the initial purchase to ensure members return for that second purchase.

Key Takeaways: 

• Prioritize value exchange for consumers and advertisers
• Focus on driving incrementality and maximizing audience penetration
• Maintain targeting efforts beyond the initial purchase

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