Co-up has teamed up with Dentsu to extend the reach of its app through a UK partnership that will see the Co-op app downloaded onto 20,000 Samsung O2 Telefónica devices. By automatically installing the app at the point of sale on over 20,000 Samsung devices each week, Co-op is able to reach a vast audience without relying on traditional download-driven marketing campaigns.  

The reduced download friction directly responds to consumer expectations that their interactions with brands should be more convenient. The partnership represents a shift in how brands can scale and maintain relevance in a mobile-first environment.

Whereas historically brands have referred to mobile phones as their ‘second screen,’ it is increasingly apparent that the smartphone is many consumers’ significant other. At the same time, the desire for frictionless service and hyper convenience is only increasing.

The pre-load advertisement channel – which was initially developed by Digital Turbine, a leading mobile growth platform – is a UK-first, streamlining the download process to encourage wider collaboration across telecom providers, manufacturers and brands. With grocery retail applications representing 15% of all shopping application downloads for the last 12 months, it strengthens the UK ecosystem and supports the growth of mobile commerce in the region by driving more efficient application adoption and helping businesses to more effectively engage with their end users. 

Kenyatte Nelson, Chief Membership and Customer Officer at Co-op, explained: “We are excited to announce the launch of our new pre-load initiative which will enable us to more efficiently engage with our customers. Dentsu’s support and innovative approach has been invaluable in enabling us to bring this to market and set a new industry benchmark for digital marketing.”  

Co-op is also working with Dentsu agency, Carat UK, to implement an outcome-based media buying strategy which complements its pre-load initiative. By ensuring that media spend is being directly tied to measurable outcomes, such as number of application installs and level of user engagement, the business has seen a 46% reduction in Android cost-per-acquisition (CPA). This new model has maximised efficiency, reduced costs and set a new industry benchmark for digital advertising. 

Toby Benjamin, Chief Digital Officer UK and Ireland at Dentsu, added: “We are pleased to announce this next chapter in the continuation of our partnership with Co-op. The strategic alignment of app pre-loading with high-volume device sales creates a win-win situation for businesses and consumers alike. The Co-op brand, known for its widespread appeal and strong community presence, is a perfect example of how this groundbreaking model from Telefonica can be leveraged to streamline the user experience and drive engagement and visibility at scale.”