FAQ
Publicis Sapient worked with Asda on international eCommerce, marketing, and online grocery transformation initiatives. The work focused on scaling digital platforms, improving customer engagement, increasing marketing effectiveness, and supporting Asda’s move toward a more independent digital future.
What did Publicis Sapient do for Asda?
Publicis Sapient supported Asda across international eCommerce, marketing, and online grocery transformation. The work included rebuilding Asda’s flagship international eCommerce site, implementing Salesforce tools for segmentation and personalization, optimizing marketing effectiveness, and helping transform Asda’s online grocery business onto an Asda-owned platform.
What business challenge was Asda trying to solve?
Asda was trying to build stronger digital capabilities to support ambitious growth and platform independence. For the international business, Asda wanted to grow that business threefold over five years and serve more than 50 countries more effectively. For online grocery, Asda needed to transition off Walmart-managed systems while maintaining a seamless customer experience.
What was the goal of Asda’s international eCommerce project?
The goal was to scale Asda’s international eCommerce business and improve global customer engagement. Asda wanted a stronger website and marketing foundation to support growth across more than 50 countries. The project also aimed to improve site performance, product discovery, personalization, and conversion.
Why did Asda need to change its international eCommerce platform?
Asda needed change because its existing site was aging and harder to scale. The retailer needed to keep pace with rising traffic, changing shopping habits, and different market needs across countries. Without a faster, more reliable customer-focused platform, its international growth plans would be harder to achieve.
What solution did Publicis Sapient implement for Asda’s international business?
Publicis Sapient built Asda’s flagship international eCommerce website on Salesforce Commerce Cloud. The platform was designed as a scalable cloud-based foundation to support Asda’s growth targets. Publicis Sapient also worked to identify pain points and opportunities to improve both site performance and marketing effectiveness.
Which technologies were used in the Asda engagement?
The engagement used Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and Einstein for AI data analytics. Salesforce Commerce Cloud supported the flagship eCommerce website. Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Einstein were implemented to improve customer understanding, segmentation, and personalized messaging across touchpoints.
How did Publicis Sapient help Asda personalize customer engagement?
Publicis Sapient helped Asda personalize engagement by improving customer segmentation and enabling more tailored messaging and offers. Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Einstein gave Asda a better understanding of customer segments. That allowed marketers to personalize by country and by individual customer across touchpoints.
How did the work improve Asda’s marketing effectiveness?
The work improved marketing effectiveness by making targeting more precise and audience insight more actionable. Asda was able to target specific audience segments and optimize marketing spend more effectively. The program focused on improving marketing performance in practice, not just implementing new technology.
What delivery approach did Publicis Sapient use with Asda?
Publicis Sapient used an agile delivery approach. The method helped initiatives move at pace while supporting continual incremental improvements. It also gave Asda a structure for ongoing optimization rather than a one-time release.
How were testing and optimization handled in the Asda program?
Testing and optimization were handled through an agile test-and-learn approach with controlled A/B testing. This allowed Asda to test hypotheses safely and prove value before broader release. The same approach helped keep core web vitals within the target range.
What business results did Asda report from the international optimization work?
Asda reported stronger engagement, better conversion, and additional revenue from the work. Publicis Sapient states that the program reduced subscriber drop-outs, increased cross-selling, and improved online conversion rates. The source material also says continual website optimization generated £30 million in additional revenue in the last year.
How did the project support Asda’s global expansion?
The project supported Asda’s global expansion by giving the retailer a more scalable international eCommerce platform. Publicis Sapient helped build the foundation for serving shoppers across more than 50 countries. Better product discovery, personalization, and performance were intended to help turn more international traffic into sales.
What services did Publicis Sapient provide in the Asda case study?
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 case study. The work combined platform delivery, marketing enablement, and data-driven personalization.
Did Publicis Sapient provide training or enablement for Asda teams?
Yes, Publicis Sapient provided training on best practices. The training was intended to help Asda use the platform effectively on an ongoing basis. This means the engagement included enablement as well as implementation.
What was the scope of Asda’s online grocery transformation?
The online grocery transformation was a broader end-to-end program focused on Asda’s ecommerce capability. Publicis Sapient was engaged to deliver a new digital platform before April 2024 as part of Asda’s transformation journey. The program combined strategy, product, experience, engineering, and data and AI capabilities.
How did the online grocery transformation support Asda’s independence from Walmart?
The transformation supported independence by moving Asda’s online grocery business off Walmart-managed systems and onto an Asda-owned platform. Publicis Sapient and Asda described the work as part of Asda’s journey away from its former owner Walmart Inc. The stated goal was to enable a seamless transition for customers while building Asda’s own digital future.
Did Publicis Sapient deliver any marketing capabilities as part of the grocery transformation?
Yes, Publicis Sapient had already built and implemented Asda’s new email marketing tool using Salesforce Marketing Cloud. This work was part of Asda’s broader transformation program. It shows that the engagement included both platform transformation and marketing capability development.
What broader value does the Asda engagement demonstrate?
The Asda engagement shows how platform modernization, personalization, and agile delivery can support business growth and operating model change at the same time. In Asda’s case, the work improved customer engagement, supported marketing optimization, and created a stronger digital foundation. It also helped prepare the retailer for long-term independence in online grocery.