In 2018 Summit built their proprietary technology Productcaster, giving clients access to the Google Shopping auction for up to 20% less cost than their competitors who are not making the most of having a Comparison Shopping Service (CSS).

Why did we build Productcaster CSS? 

Productcaster was developed by Summit in answer to the antitrust ruling from the European Union against Google in 2017, which meant that Google could no longer monopolise the Comparison Shopping space, enabling alternatives to Google Shopping to appear in the Product Listing Ad (PLA) results. Within the first 6 months of the CSS programme launch, Productcaster established itself as the largest CSS partner in Europe and we have maintained this and our ‘Premium’ status ever since.  

What is the incentive for using a CSS partner? 

To incentivise retailers to work with CSS partners, Google removed their cut of the cost of a Shopping Click for those who partner up with an alternative CSS. This means that savvy retailers are saving up to 20% on their Google Shopping spend. For every £1 spent through Google Shopping directly, only around £0.80p is being spent on your click, while £0.20p is going towards Google’s ‘Hosting Fee’. When working with Productcaster, your full £1 is being invested: without spending any more, you are unlocking improved performance. In the current economic climate, any cost saving that can be found is crucial to retailer survival. 

Given the ultra-competitive nature of the Google Shopping auction, any advantage you can gain over your competitors is essential. Even if all your competitors are already using a third-party CSS partner while you are not, finding a partner will help you in levelling the playing field: regardless of the CSS crowding situation in your vertical, having a CSS partner will benefit you. 

Which commercial model is best for you? 

When choosing a CSS partner, there are different commercial and support models you need to consider, Productcaster offers the following on a fixed monthly fee basis: 

  • SaaS: access to the CPC savings. 
  • SaaS +: access to the CPC savings, reporting and troubleshooting  
  • Premium: access to the CPC savings and strategic support 

We have created these different levels of support to ensure that we are meeting your service and commercial expectations.  

With Productcaster, you will not have to change your current set up: you keep control of your campaigns in the same interfaces you currently use and the only change you see is under your Google Shopping ads which will go from ‘by Google’ to ‘by Productcaster’.  

 

If you would like to start taking advantage of the CSS advantages, please get in touch by email info@productcaster.com or phone +44 (0)20 3948 4696.