QSIC Unveils Playbook for Store Campaign Planning
Playbook is the newest tool from QSIC aimed at improving how retailers and brands plan in‑store advertising campaigns by using store‑level sales data to forecast outcomes.
How the tool works
Playbook draws on point‑of‑sale information to suggest which stores are likely to deliver the strongest return on media spend. The system reviews historical campaign results, product trends and audience insights alongside retailer sales figures. The outlet reports that this approach lets the model produce proposals based on items already moving in each location, with an average forecasting accuracy of about 90%.
Clients can enter natural‑language prompts describing the desired campaign, and Playbook generates a media plan that lists recommended stores, demand trends, shopper insights and projected sales performance. The tool sits within the broader QSIC Intelligence platform, which also includes a performance measurement system, creating a single workflow that lets users plan and assess campaigns against the same data set.
Industry context and QSIC’s positioning
Retail media has grown quickly, especially online where clicks and conversions are easy to track. Physical stores, however, present challenges because reach does not always translate into purchases, and local differences in inventory and shopper behavior can shift results. By focusing on store‑level data, QSIC hopes to narrow that gap and give advertisers a clearer picture of expected sales before money is spent.
Matt Elsley, co‑founder and chief executive officer of QSIC, said the firm’s goal is to answer the question every brand asks: “Will this actually sell more product?” He noted that most campaigns are decided before they launch, and Playbook is designed to provide a data‑driven answer.
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“Every Brand asks the same question before investing in a campaign: ‘Will this actually sell more product?’ Until now, in‑store media hasn’t had a good answer,” Elsley explained. “Playbook is already predicting campaign outcomes at that figure, so retailers and brands are seeing the benefit at scale right now.”
Compared with earlier attempts that relied on footfall estimates or impression metrics, Playbook’s emphasis on actual sales data marks a shift toward outcome‑based planning. This mirrors trends in other advertising sectors where measurable results increasingly drive budget decisions.
QSIC’s network reaches more than 350 million shoppers each month worldwide through in‑store audio media. The company uses first‑party retail data and artificial intelligence to gauge how point‑of‑purchase audio influences buying decisions. That scale matters because many retailers run separate systems, leaving advertisers without standardized planning tools. A solution that ties media placement directly to till and loyalty data could help retailers build more accountable media businesses within their store estates.
Playbook is already in use by QSIC’s account teams for campaigns across grocery, liquor and convenience sectors. While the firm did not disclose specific client names or financial terms, the internal deployment suggests the tool has moved beyond a pilot phase into live commercial settings.
For brands, the promise is greater certainty before committing spend. For retailers, the appeal lies in being able to show advertisers projected sales outcomes at the planning stage, rather than relying mainly on reach estimates.
