Direct Connect FAQs

Resource | Last updated: 4/15/2025 | Find answers to the most frequently asked Direct Connect questions

General

Is Direct Connect a Demand Side Platform (DSP)?

No. Direct Connect is a self-service tool that allows you to access Kroger's customer audiences with unmatched flexibility, speed, and control of your Campaigns. Direct Connect allows you to use your preferred demand side platform (DSP A system that allows buyers of digital advertising inventory to manage multiple ad exchange and data exchange accounts through one interface) to access your desired Kroger audiences and optimize your products performance based on in-store and online sales.

To learn more, see Direct Connect.

Does "DSP of Choice" mean any and every DSP?

No. 84.51° Prism is integrated with many of the most popular DSP A system that allows buyers of digital advertising inventory to manage multiple ad exchange and data exchange accounts through one interfaces (including Yahoo and The Trade Desk for DSP activations), so you don't have to use a separate or particular DSP UI to activate KPM’s Direct Connect deals. However, there are some restricted platforms include retail media activation platforms like Amazon and Walmart DSP.

Campaigns

How do I order a Direct Connect Campaign?

A will enter your Campaign into 84.51° Prism . You can begin the process by completing one of these Microsoft intake forms:

To learn more, see Direct Connect.

Can I drive to a Kroger-owned landing page?

Yes. If your goal is to drive a stronger conversion metric, 84.51° Prism recommends driving to a Kroger Landing Page experience as it will position checkouts closer to the initial click.

Kroger is regional and also has many different store names depending on the location (city or state). For a list of Click-Through Destination Where customers land when they click on a campaign ad. URLs, contact your assigned Account Representative.

Is there a minimum budget spend required to activate?

84.51° Prism requires a minimum spend of $50,000 to reach a higher statistical significance in ROAS Return on Ad Spend; A marketing metric that measures the efficacy of a digital advertising campaign to help businesses evaluate which methods are working and how they can improve future advertising efforts. read outs based on impression delivery for that budget.

Channel Budget is Total KPM Working Media Dollars, and is NOT inclusive of technology or platform fees within your DSP A system that allows buyers of digital advertising inventory to manage multiple ad exchange and data exchange accounts through one interface.

Are there any restrictions on where you can drive media from Direct Connect deals?

You can push traffic to any landing page (like Mik Mak or your Client's page) as long as you are NOT driving to a direct retail competitor’s site. You can also drive to a Kroger Owned and Operated Page.

What changes can I make to my Campaign after submitting?

After you have submitted a Campaign, you can change the flight date (Start and End Date as long as it has not passed) and the overall Campaign budget.

Audiences

How many audiences should I build?

84.51° Prism recommends building three (3) to four (4) (preferably, no more than five (5)) Audience Segments to balance learning opportunities with measurability of final results. Otherwise, it can be challenging to assess what worked and what didn't if you have too few or too many Audience Segments.

To learn more, see Audience Library.

Am I able to use 84.51° Prism data science when building my audiences?

Yes. While ordering your Campaign in 84.51° Prism, you’ll be able to build audiences and receive recommendations based on the KPM and 84.51° data science.

To learn more, see Audience Library.

Deals

How many different deals can I run?

There is no specific limit to the number of deals you can create. On average, most Campaign utilize between three (3) to four (4) Audience Segments.

How long does it take for a Deal ID to be returned?

You will receive your Deal IDs within three (3) days of submitting your Campaign.

If your Campaign is longer than 16 days out, you will receive your Deal IDs closer to your Campaign Start Date to include the most up to date shopper audiences within your deals.

This action ensures that the most recent purchases on the audiences you select to target are included in your deal audiences.

How far in advance do I need to order my deals?

There is 72-hour lead time to generate Campaign Deal IDs. Your Campaign Start Date must be at least three (3) days from the day you’re entering the Campaign.

Can I pause and/or extend my campaign after set-up?

Yes. There is a maximum pause length of 14 consecutive days. If Campaign is paused longer than 14 days, a final reporting deliverable will be sent and the Campaign will be treated as if it has ended.

If you pause your Campaign, contact your Direct Connect representative for help with measurement discrepancies.

No additional reporting should be expected even if the Campaign is un-paused.

Reporting will stop 14 days after the end date indicated in 84.51° Prism. If a campaign extension is needed, it needs to be updated in 84.51° Prism before the last day.

Performance

What measurement is available for Direct Connect?

Within 24-48 hours of Campaign start, you can visit the Report Center in 84.51° Prism to view daily Campaign measurement data.

To learn more, see View Campaign performance.

The Campaign's Primary Client Contact, Secondary Contact, and Primary Account Manager receive a weekly summary of Campaign performance on Thursdays around 8:00 AM.

What is the attribution model and window?

84.51° Prism measurement utilizes a "last touch" or "last exposure to the ad" attribution model and a 14-day lookback attribution window.

The two (2) week lookback is attributed to Attributable Return on Ad Spend (aROAS Attributable Return on Ad Spend: The total sales of the test group relative to the Total Campaign Cost as determined by the total sales for the products being measured.), which means that a product purchase is linked to digital ad exposure.

What types of breakouts will I see in the Campaign performance report?

  • Performance Summary — Shows overall performance of your Campaign.

  • Daily Metrics — Shows a daily breakdown from the beginning of the Campaign until the current date.

  • Audience Breakdown — Shows the aROAS trend for each Audience Segments you defined for your Campaign

  • Device Breakdown — Shows Campaign performance with metrics and aROAS trend by device (mobile, tablet, and PC).

  • Household Breakdown — Show Campaign performance by household (New, Lapsed, and Existing).

  • UPC Contribution — Shows which UPCs Universal Product Codes contribute to the highest percentage of sales.

To learn more, see View Campaign performance.

What do I do I get the message, "Failed to load report data"?

If you see this message, refresh your browser to restore your connection to the reporting tool.

If you are still having issues, contact Technical Support.

Will I receive email communication about my Campaign performance?

Yes. The Campaign's Primary Client Contact, Secondary Contact, and Primary Account Manager receive a weekly summary of Campaign performance via email on Thursdays around 9:00 AM (ET). This email contains links to all Campaigns the contact is subscribed to, and includes PowerPoint attachments of each Campaign performance summary.

The email addresses for these contacts must be entered during Campaign intake. However, anyone with a 84.51° Prism login can view these report metrics in live time for daily updates.

Why is my Campaign not visible in the report list yet?

You'll be able to see Campaign data within 24-48 hours of your Campaign Start Date.

If you don't see your Campaign yet, the data may be slightly delayed. 84.51° Prism recommends waiting 24 hours, then checking again.

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