Indian HR provider First Meridian has launched the BrandPulse trade AI marketing platform for the post-Covid retail sector.

The platform, which was designed and developed by V5 Global, a unit of First Meridian, helps companies optimise and track offline and online marketing campaigns.

Through this, a retailer can leverage innovative features that mix traditional and technological advantages. By creating loyalty programmes, brands can increase brand loyalty, attract customers and expand their market reach. Brand Pulse is for all end-to-end market activation needs of retailers across sectors and geographies.

It also executes a suite of retail audit options, including retail visibility audit, which is designed to help retailers break through to the next level of competition. From hiring merchandisers to identifying and measuring in-store space to designing, printing, onboarding merchants and distributing retail marketing merchandise, it provides end-to-end visual merchandising services across geographies.

“Retailers will be able to construct a single consumer perspective by combining browse and buy behaviours, category, brand affinity, geographical intelligence and media activity,” said Sudhakar Balakrishnan, group CEO of First Meridian Business Services. “Our Infield app gives you total control over your processes, employee and business results.”

Manmeet Singh, deputy CEO of V5 Global, added: “Companies can make better informed and accurate decisions with the app’s comprehensive business intelligence capabilities and analytic services. The Infield software also automates performance management while providing a realistic representation of on-the-ground deployment and line reporting of field staff.”

Covid-19 had a greater impact on the retail industry, affecting everything from consumer spend to behaviour to business operations. The change requires a drastic shift in the way retailers market themselves to different audiences. BrandPulse should help retailers in navigating these new waters by quickly integrating and delivering service and goods and increasing employee productivity and customer satisfaction.

BrandPulse, which works via an online platform and an app, helps retailers gain a competitive edge by allowing them to create interactive reports, visualise data and update their retail processes.

FirstMeridian was formed in 2018 by private equity firm Samara Capital, Goldman Sachs and Hong Kong-based investment firm Janchor Partners. Headquartered in Bangalore, it is a human resources investment platform empowered by technology and innovation, with interests in staffing, managed services and HR automation.

The company employs over 95,000 people who serve 450 companies and brands from more than 1100 locations across India.