Partnership connects market, brand, category and item-level analytics with real-time feedback from verified purchasers

LEWISVILLE, Texas, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CROSSMARK and Pogo are partnering to give retailers and consumer brands a faster way to understand the decisions behind changing sales and shopper behavior, combining detailed marketplace analytics with real-time feedback from verified purchasers.

Pogo operates a consumer app with 3 million opted-in U.S. users, with visibility into 1 in every 150 U.S. shopping trips – across $470+ billion in transaction value. Brands tap this network to reach and understand real customers through AI-moderated interviews, quantitative surveys, and always-on behavioral intelligence.

When a product suddenly gains or loses ground at the shelf, the data can show where the change is happening but not necessarily what is driving it. A drop in sales, an underperforming promotion or an unexpected difference between markets can raise questions that numbers alone cannot answer: Did consumers balk at the price? Did a competitor offer something more compelling? Was the product difficult to find? Did packaging, convenience or another consideration influence the decision?

CROSSMARK will pair its Accelerator capabilities, which provide market-, brand-, category- and item-level analytics, with Pogo’s real time access to verified purchasers. Together, these capabilities allow companies to identify where a business challenge or opportunity is developing, and hear directly from consumers whose purchasing behavior can provide context around it.

“Consumer decisions are changing quickly, and our clients need to understand those changes while they still have an opportunity to respond,” said Jami McDermid, president of CROSSMARK. “We have tremendous visibility into performance across the marketplace. Pogo adds another dimension by allowing us to go directly to consumers and explore the reasons behind the behavior we’re seeing. That combination can help our clients make more informed decisions at the moments that matter.”

The approach can be applied to a range of commercial questions. A brand preparing for a category review could explore the factors influencing purchase among specific consumers. A manufacturer evaluating new packaging could hear how verified purchasers respond to it. A team investigating inconsistent performance across retailers could examine whether availability, promotion, price, competition or another factor is influencing consumer choice.

Pogo pairs observed purchase data with the human stories behind it, showing retailers not just what shoppers did but why they did it. With real-time access to their actual shoppers, retailers can confidently pinpoint where growth is being won, lost or left on the table and make sharper commercial decisions as a result.

“For the first time, brands can be in direct conversation with verified purchasers, at a scale and speed never before possible,” said Dom Wong, CEO and Co-Founder of Pogo. “A purchase tells you someone made a choice, but there is a ‘why’ behind that choice, and we can hear it from the people who actually made it: what they considered, what mattered to them and what ultimately influenced their decision. Combining that perspective with CROSSMARK’s marketplace intelligence and retail expertise gives brands and retailers a richer understanding of the people behind the purchase.”

The partnership comes as purchase decisions have become increasingly complex. Consumers are weighing price and promotion alongside convenience, health and wellness priorities, brand preferences and private-brand alternatives, while also moving between physical stores and digital channels. Those choices can vary by retailer, market, category and even individual item, increasing the need for more timely insight into what is influencing consumer behavior.

CROSSMARK and Pogo expect the partnership to support new-product launches, category reviews, promotional evaluation, packaging, shopper segmentation, private-brand development and retail execution. Insights generated through the combined capabilities can help inform decisions across assortment, pricing, promotion, merchandising and innovation, giving retailers and brands a clearer view of the people making the purchase decisions behind the numbers.

ABOUT CROSSMARK

CROSSMARK, an Acosta Group agency, is an Omni Growth Platform and services company that helps retailers and consumer brands improve execution, accelerate growth and win at the shelf. Learn more at crossmark.com.

ABOUT POGO

Pogo is an AI research platform powered by purchase-verified consumer data. Through its consumer app, more than 3 million opted-in Americans earn money from their own data by sharing transactions, receipts, app usage, and location visits. Brands use Pogo to reach verified buyers through AI-moderated interviews, quantitative surveys, and always-on behavioral intelligence. With visibility into 1 in every 150 U.S. shopping trips, Pogo helps companies understand the people behind every purchase. Pogo has raised $32 million in funding. Learn more at joinpogo.com.

ABOUT ACOSTA GROUP

Acosta Group is a collective of the most trusted retail, marketing and foodservice agencies empowering brands and retailers to win in the modern marketplace. By delivering transformative, commerce-focused solutions and more than a century of expertise, Acosta Group connects the company’s partners with people at every point in the consumer journey.

Comprised of Acosta, ActionLink, ADW, CORE Away From Home, CROSSMARK, Mosaic, Premium Retail Services and Product Connections, Acosta Group understands and anticipates evolving consumer needs, fueling accelerated performance to connect tomorrow’s commerce today.

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SOURCE CROSSMARK