Delhaize
How Delhaize leveraged Insightive, Brand New Day’s data-driven strategic service, to revitalize engagement and align content with audience values
Case study
Overview
INDUSTRY
Retail
SERVICES
Audience and competitors analysis, Content strategy
- Audience Insights: Identified 64% of Delhaize’s Facebook fanbase, revealing strong preferences for sustainability and localism.
- Engagement Growth: Increased social media interactions through strategic and tactical advices on digital content and best practices usage.
- Strategic Alignment: Collaborated with other content and media agencies, like Gicom and Mindshare, to ensure that Delhaize’s digital presence was insights-driven and aligned with customers’ values and profound needs.
Client
About Delhaize
Established in 1867 by brothers Jules and Auguste, Delhaize is a leading Belgian retailer and a pioneer in the supermarket industry. The company introduced Europe’s first self-service supermarket in Ixelles, Belgium, in 1957, revolutionizing the retail experience. Today, Delhaize operates as part of the Ahold Delhaize group, with a strong presence across Europe, Asia, and the United States.
Known for its unwavering commitment to quality and sustainability, Delhaize caters to a diverse customer base through its extensive range of grocery and lifestyle products. The brand actively engages with its audience across multiple digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube, showcasing its ability to innovate and adapt to changing consumer behaviors.
Delhaize is one of the most trusted names in the retail sector, emphasizing community connections, environmental responsibility, and customer satisfaction.
Why
A tale of teamwork
In 2017, Delhaize made a pivotal decision to enhance its digital marketing capabilities by partnering with Insightive, a data-driven service powered by Brand New Day. This marked the beginning of a transformative journey that fused Delhaize’s rich heritage and values with Insightive’s innovative approach to strategy and insights.
The collaboration began by focusing on the essentials: brand reputation monitoring and social media competitor reporting. These tools gave Delhaize the clarity it needed to understand the competitive landscape and to elevate its social media presence. With this solid foundation in place, Delhaize was better positioned to stay a step ahead of the competition.
As the partnership grew, so did the scope of the work. Insightive moved beyond initial reporting to become a strategic ally, helping Delhaize uncover valuable audience insights and identify new opportunities for digital communication. By diving deeper into the data, the team was able to craft strategies that resonated with Delhaize’s audience and aligned with the brand’s values.
Today, Insightive continues to work closely with Delhaize and its partners, Gicom and Mindshare, providing actionable insights and strategic guidance. Through workshops, competitor analyses, and audience research, the partnership ensures that Delhaize remains agile and competitive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
A few words
from Delhaize
Scope
Navigating challenges
Challenges
Delhaize found itself at a crossroads in its digital journey as social media engagement was dropping on platforms like Facebook. But the challenge went beyond numbers. How could Delhaize translate its core values of quality, sustainability, and localism into an authentic online presence that resonated with both loyal customers and new audiences?
At the same time, consumers were moving to platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where dynamic, engaging content thrived. Some competitors were quick to adapt, using creative trends to capture attention and generate engagement. For Delhaize, it wasn’t just about following trends. The brand needed a strategy that felt true to its identity, built lasting connections, and positioned organic content as a way to deepen loyalty.
Defining goals
Goals
Delhaize’s approach had to be realigned, and ambitious goals were set to move forward. The priority was building strong, engaged social media communities that reflected the brand’s values. The aim was to enhance Delhaize’s digital presence, not just by increasing visibility but by crafting a content strategy that resonated deeply and boosted organic traffic through value-driven content. To stay ahead of competitors, the focus was on benchmarking performance, identifying gaps, and leveraging new platforms to engage younger, trend-conscious audiences. Finally, everything had to be aligned with the core values to build trust and maintain authenticity. These goals were the foundation for a digital strategy designed to create real connections and showcase what made Delhaize truly unique.
Solution
Detailed audience analysis
Data Insights
- Mapped 64% of Delhaize’s fanbase (160,700 individuals), identifying key psychographic traits, interests, and behaviors.
- Highlighted over-indexed audience characteristics, including preferences for baking, epicurean lifestyles, sustainability, and family-oriented values.
of target mentioned their relationship
Delhaize penetration by age group
Delhaize penetration in Belgium
Delhaize penetration by age group
- The Epicurean: Valuing independent thought and open-mindedness, these free thinkers are skeptical of conventional wisdom and seek new ideas.
- The Large Family: Comprised of parents with sizable family units, this group faces unique challenges like childcare management and finding affordable housing.
- The Convenience Seeker: This group prioritizes convenience, favoring products and services that enhance efficiency.
- The Localist: Passionate about supporting local businesses and communities, localists prefer to buy locally-made goods and engage in neighborhood events.
Target interests
Target interests
The extra mile
Following the assessment of the current audience, the analysis shifted focus to identify new potential segments and targets. Attention was directed towards prospective clients who resonate with Delhaize’s core values: Better Eating, Better Planet, and Better Living.
By leveraging Meta’s extensive data on health and nutrition, a promising new target emerged, presenting an intriguing profile for Delhaize. Insightive team was able to identify fresh segments based on mindset, enabling Delhaize to effectively communicate and engage with this new audience.
While this is just a snapshot of the new buyer personas identified, the research provided in-depth insights into their behaviors, brand loyalty, and areas of interest.
The buyer persona
Celien, a lively 34 years old, is currently enjoying a flourishing relationship. She embraces sustainable living by traveling in electric vehicles. Her shopping habits often gravitate towards wholesome foods, demonstrating her dedication to mindful eating and her enthusiasm for an active lifestyle and sports. In her leisure time, she finds joy in the excitement of TV game shows, where the thrill of competition and challenge come together.
Interests
Zero waste
score: 100
Healty food
score: 99
Alternative diet
score: 99
Crossfit
score: 97
Competitor benchmarking
Competitor analysis
- Monitored Lidl and Aldi’s strategies, identifying strengths in engaging formats like contests and humor
- Assessed Colruyt’s success on emerging platforms like TikTok and Pinterest
- Revealed that Carrefour’s video content underperformed, emphasizing the need for concise, impactful visuals
Insight
In 2024, Aldi and Colruyt published 133 and 155 link posts on Facebook, respectively. This indicates that they were likely conducting paid campaigns to boost traffic to their websites.
Average Fan base growth
Data from 2024
Facebook follower growth from January 2024
Facebook PIR in 2024
Average percentage of post interaction rate by quarters
Post interaction rate X Post per day
Quarters averages in 2024 (size indicates average fanbase volume)
Instagram performance index
Instagram follower growth (absolute)
Data from 2024
Instagram interactions share
Instagram engagement rate over time
Data from 2021 to 2024
Tiktok follower growth (percentage & absolute)
Data from 2024
Interactions per impressions
by Follower growth %
Size indicates Post interaction rate
Content strategy
Actionable Insights
35+
Platform-specific strategies
- Introduced Reels and TikTok-style videos for Instagram to align with audience consumption habits.
- Encouraged a mobile-first approach to content delivery.
Value alignment
- Suggested promoting local products, sustainability initiatives, and family-friendly content to foster deeper connections.
Content Guidelines
- Valuable
- Educational
- Humorous
- Relatable
- Engaging
- Informative
Suggested Content
- Recipes
- Contests
- Promotions
- Sustainability
-
Family-friendly tips
Average interactions per post on Instagram
Data from 2024
482,79
+ 66,85%
from 2023
59,88
- 25,61%
from 2023
42,50
- 11,53%
from 2023
156,62
- 29,73%
from 2023
27,54
- 20,80%
from 2023
Results
Outcomes that matter
When Delhaize teamed up with Insightive, their objective was straightforward: to reconnect with their audience and regain a competitive advantage in the ever-changing digital landscape. Seven years later, the outcomes reveal a captivating story of transformation fueled by data-driven insights and genuine storytelling. Delhaize revamped its social media strategy, transforming Instagram into a platform for meaningful interactions and achieving remarkable engagement results. The introduction of Reels generated dynamic content, igniting conversations and enhancing interactions. The success further expanded as Delhaize ventured into TikTok and Pinterest, targeting younger audiences while remaining true to its brand values. Campaigns that emphasized local products, zero-waste cooking, and family themes struck a chord, strengthening community ties. The effects extended beyond metrics, as Delhaize’s marketing team adopted a bold, authentic content strategy. Customers recognized this shift, increasing their engagement and providing positive feedback on the brand’s dedication to sustainability and family values. The results showcase not just a return to relevance, but a redefinition of Delhaize’s digital identity, proving that even a legacy brand can thrive through innovation and authenticity.
Conclusion
Transforming challenges into opportunities
Delhaize’s partnership with Insightive showcases the power of data-driven decision-making in retail digital transformation. By combining audience insights, competitor analysis, and content optimization, Delhaize successfully enhanced its social media engagement, platform presence, and brand connection with consumers.