15 October 2026
How Retail Media Amplified San Pellegrino CIAO!’s Launch
In 2026, Sanpellegrino launched CIAO!, a new range of flavoured sparkling waters, with the ambition of building awareness and establishing the brand as a modern and refreshing alternative to traditional soft drinks.
Positioned around vibrant flavours, a premium look and Sanpellegrino’s distinctive Italian identity, CIAO! was designed to appeal to urban adults looking for sophisticated, refreshing options that fit their lifestyle.
To support the launch and connect with this quality- and experience-driven audience, Sanpellegrino activated a Retail Media layer with MMD, complementing its broader media strategy and bringing the new range closer to shoppers at key moments along the path to purchase.
Objectives
Launching a new range is about more than building awareness: it is about creating relevance, driving consideration and encouraging consumers to discover and try the product.
At MMD, we strongly believe in the complementary role of Above-The-Line media and Retail Media. For the launch of Sanpellegrino CIAO!, the key question was how this combination could help maximize the impact of the campaign and connect with the right consumers at different stages of their journey.
To support this objective, Sanpellegrino combined a broad media campaign across Social, OOH, OLV and Sampling with a Retail Media layer through MMD.
The campaign aimed to:
-Build awareness and consideration for the new CIAO! range among urban adults aged 25–44.
-Reach and engage a relevant, quality-driven audience with a strong affinity for premium and innovative products.
On top of that, the Kantar/Memo2 study aimed to understand the contribution of Retail Media in complementing the broader media campaign and driving consumers closer to purchase.
Solution
Innovation Pack :
Dedicated e-mail - 100.000 contacts - Target Urban adults aged 18–54
Online Visibility– Pack Small – 2 weeks
Offsite Display – 400.000 impressions
Push product for free Delivery – 1 week
Digital Signage Entrance - Network small– 1 week - 100 screens
Stopper small Pack Large – 4 weeks
On top of that, the MMD campaign was supported by a global ATL campaign, including a huge OOH campaign, Social & OLV
Results
The campaign demonstrates how Retail Media can amplify the impact of a broader media strategy, delivering a strong contribution to both brand and sales performance despite representing only a small share of the total media investment.
7% Share of Investment
MMD represented only 7% of the total media investment, compared with 69% for OOH. Yet, Retail Media contributed to 35% of the uplift in Sanpellegrino's brand KPIs, compared with 28% for OOH, highlighting the strong contribution of Retail Media relative to its share of investment.
+4%
The Sanpellegrino campaign achieved a 46% total cross-media reach among Belgian adults aged 18+. Delhaize reached 17% of the population and added 4% unique incremental reach on top of OLV, Social and DOOH. This additional reach demonstrate that Retail Media can extend the reach of an ATL campaign rather than simply duplicate existing exposure.
+35%
MMD contributed 35% of the total uplift in Sanpellegrino’s brand KPIs, demonstrating that Retail Media can play a meaningful role beyond conversion and at different stages of the funnel. The campaign significantly strengthened Purchase Intent and Brand Image, supported by strong creative appreciation.
38%
The cross-media campaign generated a +15.2% short-term sales uplift within Delhaize, with MMD contributing 38% of the total sales uplift. Web/App, POS and MMD DOOH all generated strong returns, demonstrating the effectiveness of Retail Media in driving sales close to the point of purchase.
