FAQ
Publicis Sapient partnered with Asda on major digital transformation initiatives across its international eCommerce and online grocery business. The work focused on scaling digital platforms, improving marketing effectiveness, personalizing customer engagement, and helping Asda build a more independent digital future.
What did Publicis Sapient do for Asda?
Publicis Sapient supported Asda across website, eCommerce, marketing, and broader digital transformation initiatives. The work included optimizing Asda’s international website and marketing, building a flagship eCommerce site, implementing Salesforce tools, and leading the transformation of Asda’s online grocery business. Publicis Sapient was also engaged to help Asda move away from Walmart-managed systems and build an independent digital platform.
What business challenge was Asda trying to solve?
Asda needed to scale digital capabilities to support ambitious growth and improve performance. For the international business, Asda wanted to grow that business threefold over five years and needed a stronger eCommerce and marketing foundation. For online grocery, Asda needed to transition from Walmart’s managed systems to an Asda-owned platform while supporting a seamless customer experience.
Why did Asda choose Publicis Sapient?
Asda chose Publicis Sapient to lead a broad digital transformation program. According to the source material, Publicis Sapient brought end-to-end capabilities spanning strategy, product, experience, engineering, data and AI. Asda also cited Publicis Sapient’s track record in e-commerce platforms and its role in helping deliver an independent Asda-owned platform.
What platforms and technologies were used in the Asda engagement?
The Asda engagement used Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and Einstein AI data analytics. Salesforce Commerce Cloud supported the flagship eCommerce website, while Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Einstein were used to improve customer segmentation and personalization. The press release also states that Publicis Sapient had already built and implemented Asda’s new email marketing tool using Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
What was the goal of Asda’s international eCommerce project?
The goal was to grow Asda’s international business by scaling its website and improving global customer engagement. Publicis Sapient supported Asda’s plan to expand to more than 50 countries by building a flagship eCommerce website and enabling personalized experiences at scale. The work also focused on improving site performance and marketing effectiveness.
How did Publicis Sapient help Asda personalize customer experiences?
Publicis Sapient helped Asda personalize experiences by implementing Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Einstein. These tools gave Asda a better understanding of customer segments so marketers could tailor messaging and offers by country and by individual customer. The source says this supported personalization across all touchpoints.
How did the new approach improve Asda’s marketing?
The new approach improved Asda’s marketing by enabling more targeted and effective campaigns. With better audience segmentation and customer insight, Asda was able to personalize messaging and offers more precisely. The source also states that Asda optimized marketing spend by targeting specific audience segments.
What business results did Asda achieve from the international website optimization work?
Asda achieved measurable revenue and engagement gains from the optimization work. The source states that personalized omnichannel engagement contributed to reduced subscriber drop-outs, increased cross-selling, and higher online conversion rates. It also states that continual website optimization generated £30M in additional revenue in the last year.
How did Publicis Sapient support Asda’s global expansion?
Publicis Sapient supported Asda’s global expansion by building a scalable flagship eCommerce website for international markets. The work was designed to help Asda scale its business to more than 50 countries. Publicis Sapient also helped Asda deliver personalized experiences at scale for global customers.
What was the scope of the online grocery transformation?
The online grocery transformation was a full overhaul of Asda’s ecommerce capability. Publicis Sapient was tasked with delivering a new digital platform before April 2024 as part of Asda’s journey away from Walmart systems. The program was described as an end-to-end transformation covering strategy, product, experience, engineering, and data and AI.
How did the Asda online grocery transformation support independence from Walmart?
The transformation supported Asda’s independence by moving its online grocery business off Walmart-managed systems onto its own platform. The press release states that the program was designed to help Asda become independent of its former owner Walmart Inc. It also states that the goal was an entirely independent Asda-owned platform with a seamless transition for customers.
What delivery approach did Publicis Sapient use with Asda?
Publicis Sapient used an agile delivery approach. The source says this method helped initiatives move at pace while allowing continual incremental improvements. It also supported a test-and-learn model so Asda could validate changes through controlled A/B testing before release.
How did testing and optimization work in the Asda program?
Testing and optimization were handled through an agile test-and-learn approach with controlled A/B tests. This allowed Asda to test hypotheses safely and prove value before wider release. The source also says this approach helped keep core web vitals within the target range.
What benefits did Asda gain from the new platform and operating model?
Asda gained a more scalable platform and a more agile way of working. The source describes improved customer experience, better marketing effectiveness, and stronger support for growth across markets. For online grocery, the transformation was intended to create exponential value in customer experience while enabling a best-in-class agile operating model.
Did Publicis Sapient provide enablement or training for Asda teams?
Yes, Publicis Sapient provided training on best practices. The source says this training was intended to support effective ongoing use of the platform. This suggests the engagement was not limited to implementation alone, but also included helping Asda teams operate the solution successfully over time.
What services did Publicis Sapient provide in the Asda engagement?
Publicis Sapient provided strategy and consulting, technology and engineering, data and artificial intelligence, and marketing platforms services. These service areas are listed directly in the Asda case study. The press release also describes an integrated approach across strategy, product, experience, engineering, and data and AI.
What does this case study show about Publicis Sapient’s Salesforce capabilities?
The case study shows that Publicis Sapient uses Salesforce to support connected, customer-centric digital transformation. In Asda’s case, Publicis Sapient used Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Einstein to support scalable eCommerce, segmentation, personalization, and marketing optimization. The source also states that Publicis Sapient helps clients maximize Salesforce investments with end-to-end operational support and strategy across the Salesforce suite.
What should retailers take away from the Asda engagement?
Retailers should take away that digital growth requires both platform modernization and operating model change. In Asda’s case, the combination of scalable cloud platforms, audience insight, personalization, agile delivery, and controlled testing supported international growth and online grocery transformation. The source also shows that these changes can help improve conversion, reduce churn, and support long-term platform independence.