Title	BLOCK WISH
Brand	S GROUP
Product/Service	ALEPA
Category	E02. Innovative Use of Technology
Entrant	S-GROUP Helsinki, FINLAND
Idea Creation	SOK MEDIA Helsinki, FINLAND
Media Placement	CARAT Helsinki, FINLAND
Production	ACCENTURE Helsinki, FINLAND
Production 2	WÖRKS Helsinki, FINLAND
Production 3	BOUTIQUE Helsinki, FINLAND
Production 4	ZEELAND Helsinki, FINLAND
Additional Company	HOK-ELANTO Helsinki, FINLAND
Additional Company 2	TBWA\HELSINKI, FINLAND

Name	Company	Position
Janne Lehtinen	SOK Media	VP, Head of Marketing Strategy
Teemu Äijälä	SOK Media	Design Principle
Krista Pihlhjerta	SOK Media	Marketing Strategist
Tuomas Ahola	HOK-Elanto	Director, Communications and Marketing
Merja Mustonen	HOK-Elanto	Director of Alepa chain
Annikki Rosander	SOK Media	Marketing Planner
Antti Rantalahti	SOK Media	Development Manager
Lauri Toivonen	SOK Media	SVP, Marketing
Markus Sillanpää	SOK Media	VP, Marketing Technology & Analytics
Jussi Lehtiniemi	Accenture	Technical Architect
Pinja Kuosmanen	Accenture	AI/ML Development
Tomas Linberg	Accenture	Head of Design
Arttu Laaksonen	Accenture	Sr. Technical Architect
Samu Teittinen	Accenture	Designer
Juha Halmesvaara	Carat Finland	Media Innovations Director
Kaisa Rissanen	Carat Finland	Account Manager
Kirsi Riipinen	Carat Finland	Operations Director
Jaakko Veijola	Wörks	Senior Art Director
Paul Nyman	Wörks	Creative
Minna Kommeri	Wörks	Creative
Tuukka Sinisalo	Wörks	Creative
Misha Lagerstedt	Boutique	CEO
Sallamaari Muhonen	Netprofile	Consultant
Juha Frey	Netprofile	Managing Director
Jyrki Poutiainen	TBWA\Helsinki	Chief Creative Officer
Erno Reinikainen	TBWA\Helsinki	Creative Director
Joni Furstenborg	TBWA\Helsinki	Associate Creative Director
Tuomas Perälä	TBWA\Helsinki	Copywriter

Describe the creative idea

All neighborhoods have their own flavors and unique mix of people. To match their grocery needs we wanted to give the power back to community and let them tell us what products to have in each store and stop guessing. We knew from the past that quiet Finns don’t feel comfortable asking anything from the shop personnel if they are not 100% certain what they are wishing. To lower the bar we wanted to create solution which allows Finns easily make their product wishes without talking to anybody. Introducing “Alepa Block Wishes” – a hyperlocal digital initiative and a logistics and production-line turnaround. With the help of a chatbot, customers could request their favorite products to be added on the shelves of their local Alepa straight from their mobile phones Messenger app.

Describe the execution

We built Facebook Messenger chatbot with integrations to all S Group SKU level product data and shop locations. Customers could wish any products they imagined from the bot, which then searched matching product from S Group databases using meta data and returned best matching products within milliseconds to the chat. From these products customers could send their Block Wish to closest Alepa based on their location. If needed they could send the Block Wish to any Alepa based on the name of the neighborhood. The logistics and product line changes were made automatically. 70% of the wishes were fulfilled within 48 hours. After introducing Alepa Block Wishes, the selection in each neighborhood started to change rapidly. Block Wishes became an instant hit. In a time of retail revolution, the previously prehistoric Alepa store chain managed to evolve into a network of corner stores to hip local shops with unique selections.