SocialShelf Launches Test of QR-Enabled, In-Store Campaign with 155 Craft Brands

Written by Jessica Infante – Dec. 22, 2021 at 9:54 AM

Original article published by Brewbound: http://ow.ly/bxjp50HhvYa

With SocialShelf, beverage alcohol brands could have another arrow in their quiver to capture drinkers’ attention at retail.

Capitalizing on QR codes’ return to prominence during the pandemic, SocialShelf allows shoppers to scan a code on the shelf or cooler door that brings them to a branded microsite containing tasting notes, beer specs, food pairing suggestions or videos.

A product from Trooper, Pennsylvania-based A3 MediaCo, the point-of-sale tool launched with a 90-day test at select Giant food stores in the Philadelphia suburbs earlier this month. SocialShelf, a product from Trooper, Pennsylvania-based A3 MediaCo.

“It’s not intrusive in any way,” A3 MediaCo co-owner and CEO Frank Gussoni said in a press release. “It’s on demand and very social in nature. It’s not meant to be slick or salesy.”

SocialShelf was designed and priced with small- to medium-sized craft brands in mind as a way to give them an affordable option for multi-faceted, in-store marketing –- something they’re often priced out of.

“It’s a shame because they’re always competing with a very low voice,” Gussoni told Brewbound.

SocialShelf plans start at $3,000 per quarter or $9,000 per year and $0.18 per view after the base fee, according to its website. Plans include the creation of QR codes and shelf tags with custom logos and artwork, a mobile-optimized website to house branded content, site maintenance and reporting.

So far, 155 brands are participating in the Giant stores test, from companies that include Troegs, Founders and brands in the CANarchy and Artisanal Brewing Ventures (ABV) portfolios. The product’s advantage, Gussoni said, is that it meets drinkers in the aisle when they’re open to recommendations.

“People have to request the information, so you know they’re interested, and you know they’re shopping,” he told Brewbound.

A3 MediaCo plans to launch SocialShelf for other CPG categories, but beverage alcohol is its first foray into retailers.

“We decided to jump into the hardest category right out of the gate, alcohol,” Gussoni said in the release. “With it being so competitive and heavily regulated, if we can make it there, we believe we can make it everywhere in retail.”