The supermarket that listens
Office
Portugal
Services
Data intelligence
Digital influence consulting
Corporate diplomacy, PR & media relations
Date
2015-2025
Portugal’s retail sector is fiercely competitive, dominated by well-established players with powerful marketing strategies and strong customer loyalty. For emerging brands, breaking through means finding a distinct voice and standing out in a crowded market.
Mercadona entered Portugal with a disruptive approach: no traditional promotion but a commitment to continuously improving its products based on active listening to consumers. The brand needed an innovative communications strategy in such a challenging context to build trust and forge an authentic connection with the Portuguese public.
How do you enter a competitive, crowded market—gaining recognition and becoming a brand that consumers want and love?
Solution
Mercadona launched its expansion in Portugal with a clear goal: to stand out in a crowded space and connect genuinely with Portuguese consumers. We designed a strategy built on active listening, strategic creativity, and strong stakeholder relationships.
We implemented a model that helped identify and respond to local needs, supporting Mercadona in adapting its product and service offerings. Understanding the value of consumer feedback, we used social media insights to fine-tune their selection—preserving key products from Spanish stores while tailoring the rest to local preferences.
We built a compelling narrative that earned consumer trust and sparked emotional resonance while our media and opinion leader relationships reinforced the brand’s positioning. At our recommendation, Mercadona launched its social media presence even before its first store opened, with a solid content strategy that helped cultivate early engagement and loyalty.
The results spoke for themselves: Mercadona not only became one of Portugal’s most relevant supermarket chains, it also earned a place as a brand that consumers love and trust, securing its role as a benchmark in Portuguese retail.
Mercadona turned a profit in Portugal for the first time in 2024 while continuing steady expansion across the country.
We played a key role in the growth of Mercadona, helping them expand to 61 stores and establishing themselves as the fourth-largest player in the Portuguese market.
We strengthened Mercadona’s reputation as one of the most employee-friendly companies in the sector, known for above-average salaries, yearly bonuses, and above-inflation pay increases.
We reinforced Mercadona’s institutional and community ties, streamlining licensing processes, resolving local conflicts, and promoting donation partnerships in every city. We also fostered strong, lasting relationships with key journalists and media outlets.
RESULTS
