Superdrug Rolls Out First Sponsored Supplier Campaigns

U.K.-based health and beauty retailer Superdrug went live with its first supplier campaigns via its new retailer media network Optimo in November, Paul Stafford, head of digital marketing, retail media and online brand at Superdrug, recently announced on LinkedIn.

Stafford called the journey to get the word “sponsored” on the retailer’s digital products a “complex task,” in his post.

“Of course, retail media is much more than that, and we have more news to follow in the coming weeks as we expand our offering,” he wrote.

The first suppliers to use this offering via Superdrug.com were Unilever and Beiersdorf.

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Superdrug, which is owned by A.S. Watson Group, just launched Optimo in October at the retailer’s annual supplier conference.

“This has been a huge piece of work covering A.S. Watson Group [business units] across Hong Kong, Milan, Paris, Amsterdam and London,” Stafford said in a LinkedIn post after the conference. “From a personal point of view, it’s been an incredible journey to work on a project that is at the coal face of major industry change.”

This isn’t Superdrug’s only recent move to enhance its digital marketing and commerce offerings. In October, Superdrug launched its first TikTok live shopping experience, through TikTok Shop, with Coty’s Rimmel London. Two representatives from the brand took over Superdrug’s TikTok account on Oct. 19 to share Halloween makeup inspiration and giveaways.

“The jury is still out on whether this will take off in the West, like it has in China, but it’s an exciting way to engage with customers, and we're committed to exploring this channel further,” Stafford said. “While the scale may not be huge yet, live shopping is a great way to build brand love and stay relevant with our target consumers.”