Helping customers navigate the cost-of-living crisis

Refreshing Asda’s CRM strategy: Shifting from purely sales-led messaging to more emotional and personalised communications.

The challenge

A thorough comms audit revealed a critical gap at the heart of Asda’s customer communications: An almost exclusively sales-driven approach with little emotional resonance. As the cost-of-living crisis intensified, customer needs and expectations shifted fundamentally. Asda’s customers weren’t simply looking for the next deal, they wanted communications that were more relevant to them as a shopper, recognising what they regularly purchased.

What we did

We developed a revised CRM strategy with the new Rewards loyalty scheme at its heart. The new approach recalibrated the balance between promotional and content-led messaging, weaving in advice, guidance and genuine support for priority customer groups, with young families as the primary focus. Communications were designed to feel more personalised and relevant, rather than transactional.

“INGAGE helped us to develop a customer-led approach for CRM, with an increased emphasis on emotional engagement and personalisation.”

Senior CRM Manager, Asda

The outcome

The results validated the strategy decisively. First-year CRM email activity exceeded the annual stretch target, demonstrating that customers were not just receiving the new communications – they were engaging with them. Building on this success, 2023 saw the launch of a dedicated parenting programme, giving Asda’s young family audience a richer, more sustained relationship with the brand.

Contact us at hello@ingagecontent.com