Ourcart Blog

We consistently tell brand marketers they must stay vigilant against fraud. As AI evolves, so do the tactics employed by fraudsters, creating a never ending race between marketers seeking to protect their brand investments and scammers looking to exploit them. Understanding the various fraud mechanisms at play can help brand marketers safeguard their campaigns, maintain consumer trust, and ensure the integrity of their marketing efforts.

Fraud in receipt processing is a significant and growing challenge, particularly as more companies use digital methods for tracking expenses, processing rebates, and offering cash-back incentives. U.S. companies incur approximately $1 billion annually due to reimbursement fraud. The retail sector faces staggering losses of around $100 billion each year from return fraud, bots, and coupon stacking, with receipt fraud being a prevalent method. Businesses lose between $300 million and $600 million annually due to coupon fraud, which includes fraudulent receipt submissions.

I hear from brand marketers that they are constantly searching for innovative strategies to not only capture consumer attention but also convert it into long-lasting loyalty. While driving awareness and offering cashback have been traditional mainstays, the ever evolving consumer demands a more sharpened thought process.

Outlined below are key recommendations we provide brand marketers so they can make good decisions when considering which strategies to adopt to transcend traditional methods and create deeper, more meaningful connections with their audience.

Focus on the Outcomes

Successful brands look to gain every edge in their marketing efforts. To gain this edge, quality purchase data must be part of the equation. It is imperative to have retailer agnostic insights to assess marketing channel effectiveness, ROI, conversion rates, but also the consumer data itself. With this data brands can craft strategies that increase consumer engagement, build loyalty and drive growth. We often recommend that brands make their investment decisions with the outcome being the acquisition of quality consumer data.  A cashback offer is just the engagement to drive the outcomes desired; not the outcome!

1. Enhanced Targeting

One of the biggest advantages of modern CPG marketing is enhanced targeting through the use of purchase data and analytics. By collecting and analyzing first-party data, CPG brands can gain a deeper understanding of consumer behaviors, preferences, and purchasing patterns. This data drives actionable insights, leading to stronger connections, informed decisions, and effective consumer-centric initiatives. It empowers brands to build loyalty, increase engagement and strengthen relationships.